Bangladesh, China pledge deeper cooperation at Manila talks, discuss Rohingya repatriation, connectivity

Bangladesh and China on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral ties during a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, with discussions focusing on Rohingya repatriation, connectivity, investment and energy cooperation.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, accompanied by Foreign Adviser to the Prime Minister Humaiun Kobir, held bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry.

The two sides reviewed the overall state of bilateral relations and discussed ways to further advance the comprehensive cooperative partnership between the two countries.

The ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to jointly building a China-Bangladesh community with a shared future, the ministry said.

A broad range of regional and bilateral issues featured in the talks, including efforts to facilitate the safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

The discussions also covered transport corridors aimed at improving regional connectivity, expanding Chinese investment in Bangladesh, strengthening energy cooperation and enhancing broader economic collaboration.

The meeting comes a month after Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid an official visit to China, where the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, infrastructure, investment, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges.

Bangladesh regards China as its largest trading partner and a major source of infrastructure financing, while Beijing has increasingly expanded its economic footprint in the South Asian nation through projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.