Tarique Rahman, Li Qiang Hold Bilateral Talks; MoUs Signed

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held bilateral talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday, during which several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed to strengthen cooperation between Bangladesh and China.

Earlier, Tarique Rahman received a ceremonial welcome upon arriving at the Great Hall in a motorcade from the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. A red-carpet reception was arranged in his honour, and Premier Li Qiang personally welcomed him before escorting him to the ceremonial platform.

A contingent of the Chinese Armed Forces presented a Guard of Honour, while the national anthems of Bangladesh and China were played. The two leaders inspected the guard and received a formal salute. A gun salute was also accorded to the Bangladesh Prime Minister. During the ceremony, members of the two delegations were introduced to one another.

Later in the day, the Bangladeshi delegation is scheduled to attend a banquet hosted by the Chinese premier.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is also set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Friday morning, according to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) spokesperson Mahdi Amin. Amin said the Prime Minister will raise a range of issues related to Bangladesh’s national interests during his meetings with the Chinese leadership.

Earlier on Thursday, Chinese Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying met Tarique Rahman at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. According to Amin, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation on the Teesta Master Plan, river management, flood-risk mitigation, dredging, erosion control, irrigation and inland navigation.

The Chinese minister expressed interest in supporting Bangladesh through joint research, training programmes and institutional capacity-building initiatives in these sectors.

The Prime Minister also addressed the “Invest Bangladesh” forum, jointly organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). More than 80 senior executives and business leaders from major Chinese companies attended the event.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s reform agenda, Tarique Rahman invited Chinese investors to expand their presence in the country, describing Bangladesh as an increasingly competitive, reliable and profitable destination for manufacturing and industrial investment.

He outlined a special 180-day action plan aimed at improving the investment climate, including the development of economic zones in Anwara and Mongla, the establishment of Bangladesh’s first investment office in China, and incentives for priority sectors. He also announced that new investment licences would be issued within 15 days.

Amin said the Prime Minister, who also serves as BNP chairman, later held a party-to-party meeting with Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

During the meeting, Tarique Rahman called for a stronger long-term partnership focused on economic cooperation, sustainable growth and shared prosperity. The Chinese side reaffirmed its support for Bangladesh’s sovereignty, security and development and expressed interest in deepening political, economic and people-to-people exchanges.

Both sides pledged to elevate Bangladesh-China relations through expanded cooperation in development, trade, investment, public engagement and inter-party relations. An MoU was also signed between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Communist Party of China.

Reflecting on his earlier visit to China in 2002 alongside former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman recalled the strong historical ties between the two countries. Amin noted that BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman laid the foundation of Bangladesh-China friendship through his visits in 1977 and 1980, while Khaleda Zia further strengthened the relationship through seven official visits.

According to Amin, Tarique Rahman remains committed to advancing Bangladesh-China ties while adhering to a “Bangladesh First” foreign policy that prioritises national interests, sovereignty and balanced international engagement.

Senior representatives from major Chinese organisations and corporations, including the China International Development Cooperation Agency, China Railway Construction Corporation and China Road and Bridge Corporation, also met the Prime Minister to discuss investment, trade and development cooperation.

Tarique Rahman arrived in Beijing on Wednesday after attending the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, commonly known as the Summer Davos, in Dalian. The China visit marks the second phase of his first official overseas tour as Prime Minister, following an earlier visit to Malaysia.

Amin said the Prime Minister’s engagements in Malaysia, at the World Economic Forum and in China demonstrate Bangladesh’s growing international profile and its commitment to a balanced and independent foreign policy.