(MENAFN- Bangladesh Monitor) Dhaka : Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China-Bangladesh relations will reach a new height and open a new era of friendly cooperation, said Yan Hualong, Charge d'affaires of Chinese Embassy in Dhaka at the inauguration of the "Belt and Road Initiative in Bangladesh exhibition 2023" in the capital on September 7.
In his inaugural address, the Chinese envoy informed, "China will continue to encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Bangladesh and promote the steady and long-term development of China-Bangladesh economic and trade relations."
The Belt and Road Initiative in Bangladesh Exhibition 2023, featuring around 35 Chinese companies and several Bangladeshi companies and banks, among others, concluded on September 9 at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre in the capital.
The exhibition was jointly organised by the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCCI) and Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh (CEAB).
"The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh holds the exhibition to vividly demonstrate the achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative in Bangladesh, build a platform for cooperation between Chinese and Bangladeshi companies, and to present a gift to the upcoming 74th anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China," Yan Hualong also mentioned.
It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh is the first country in South Asia to have joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), further said Yan Hualong, adding, "Currently, there are more than 670 Chinese companies operating in Bangladesh."
Lokman Hossain Miah, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BID), attended the ceremony as the chief guest.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Lokman Miah said that China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has already brought transformative changes to Bangladesh and has strengthened Bangladesh's role as a vital connector in regional trade networks.
He mentioned that China's FDI stock has reached USD 1.34 billion-fifth largest in volume-from USD 19 million in 2009.
Gazi Golam Murtoza, President of Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCCI), said, "Bangladesh, with its strategic location and unwavering commitment to progress, officially joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2016. Since then, the Bangladesh-China partnership has blossomed, resulting in a host of transformative projects that have brought tangible benefits to the nation and beyond."
Md Anwar Hossain, additional secretary and wing chief of Economic Relations Division (ERD), AHM Ahsan, vice chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), and Ke Changliang, president of the Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh (CEAB), were also present on the occasion.