The key to further enhancing the traditional friendship between China and Bangladesh is through promoting interaction and mutual understanding between the two peoples, said Bangladeshi interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) during his four-day visit to China that ended on March 29, Yunus expressed the hope to build a Chinese cultural center in Bangladesh.
"We always felt China is our friend and in 50 years of history, we are always a good friend. We are good friends, but we want to build a friendship to a new level. That's all we are saying. We want to strengthen it in many different ways. We had little business. Now we grow big business. We have little interaction in a social way, in a cultural way. One of the things that we suggested during my visit is to build a Chinese cultural center in Bangladesh so that Bangladesh is familiar with what's going on in China and particularly learning the language. We're emphasizing that we must have the facility for Bangladeshi people, 170 million, to learn Chinese," he said.
"If you are a friend, you have to speak in their language. Then you become better, closer friends. So that is missing. We see only few people can speak Chinese, I said that's a shame. So the cultural center will bring many of the things, all the things that we had been going gone through in Bangladesh and China relations. Our forefathers knew each other and now it's our turn to explore and understand each other and continuing that path," Yunus added.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, and the China-Bangladesh People-to-People Exchange Year.
In 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote back to a Bangladeshi child, Alifa Chin, encouraging her to study hard, pursue her dream and carry forward the traditional friendship between China and Bangladesh.
Chin's story with China began when she was born in 2010. Her mother suffered from a difficult delivery due to a severe heart problem.
At that time, "The Peace Ark," China's visiting naval hospital ship, received the request for help and immediately sent military doctors to the local hospital to perform a cesarean section under great pressure.
Finally, the mother and daughter were safe. To show gratitude, the father named the baby "Chin," which means "China" in Bengali.
Yunus hailed the story, stressing that the close exchange and friendship between the two nations will continue to lift people up.
"Many, many stories will come out when we are close to each other -- stories about how you protect, how you save, how you improve, how you inspire, most importantly how you inspire each other. So those are the things which you'll remember all your life and the nations are built with those memories. And the friendship comes through that. Health care is very important and Chinese doctors are providing health care with making arrangements for providing health care for Bangladesh. The whole of Bangladesh is very happy with that because we needed a reliable health system. We didn't have it yet. Chinese hospitals will be available in Kunming for Bangladeshi patients. Then we learn from the Chinese doctors the way of improving the health care system in Bangladesh. So it's very helpful for us having this close relationship in many different ways, not just financial way, as a humanitarian way. It's about the friendship way, cultural way," he said.
Bangladeshi official calls for further cultural, people-to-people exchanges with China
China has pledged deeper ties with its neighbors to foster common development and stability, following a central conference on work related to neighboring countries, which saw Chinese ambassadors from around the region gather in Beijing this week.
The diplomats and experts attending the conference said the country is working to promote regional collaboration amid growing global uncertainties, strengthening its ties with its neighbors in a way that takes account of both the regional and the global context.
"The trade volume between China and Malaysia reached 212 billion U.S. dollars [in 2024], marking an 11.4 percent year-on-year increase. A large number of infrastructure projects including highways, bridges, ports, terminals and hydropower stations are being implemented across Malaysia. China-Malaysia cooperation epitomizes the broader collaboration between China and ASEAN. We are confident that under the strategic guidance of both countries' leaders, bilateral relations will reach new heights," said Ouyang Yujing, Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia.
"ASEAN and China are geographically close and culturally connected, making ASEAN our important partner for development cooperation. Our combined population exceeds 2 billion, representing a massive market with sustained rapid economic growth in recent years and promising prospects," said Hou Yanqi, Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN.
Other Chinese diplomats said China was being guided by the principles of amity, security, prosperity and win-win cooperation, to promote a shared future with neighboring countries, using its own development to spur regional growth.
This vision has led to concrete achievements, with a consensus on a shared future agreed with 17 neighboring states, Belt and Road cooperation agreements in effect with 25, and 18 regional nations now counting China as their largest trade partner. These deepening political and economic ties have cleared a path toward warm neighborly relations and mutual prosperity, according to other ambassadors.
"China has established comprehensive strategic partnerships with all Central Asian countries and signed Belt and Road cooperation documents. We are jointly committed to building a community with a shared future," said Han Chunlin, China's Ambassador to Kazakhstan.
"The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, as a pioneering project of the Belt and Road Initiative, has attracted over 25 billion U.S. dollars in direct investment and created 230,000 jobs. It has not only elevated China-Pakistan cooperation but also contributed to Pakistan's economic and social development," said Jiang Zaidong, the Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan.
As the global challenges brought by unilateralism and economic protectionism grow, China remains steadfast in advancing its vision of a shared future, strengthening partnerships with neighboring countries to anchor stability and renew hope, according to China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong.
"We must steadfastly uphold fairness and justice, adhere to true multilateralism, safeguard the interests of developing countries, maintain the authority of international law, and firmly oppose 'might makes right'," he said.
"Our world has become highly interdependent. Attempts at 'decoupling' or forced division are not only impossible but also go against historical trends. We must promote shared development through global cooperation. This represents the true exemplar of major-country responsibility," said Wang Fan, president of China Foreign Affairs University.
China pledges deeper cooperation with neighbors to foster stability
