Internal working platform of Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

On November 19, 2022, the opening ceremony of the third China-South Asia Cooperation Forum will be held in Kunming. Wang Yubo, Governor of Yunnan Province, Yang Bin, Vice Governor, Wu Jianghao, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, and diplomatic envoys from relevant countries attended the event. Li Jiming, the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, was invited to deliver a speech as the ambassador to the Country of Honor of the 6th China-South Africa Expo. Momen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, delivered a video speech.

  The full text of Ambassador Li's speech is as follows:

  It is a great honor to be the ambassador of China to Bangladesh, the theme country of this China-South Asia Expo sub-forum. Here, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the grand opening of the 3rd China-South Asia Cooperation Forum and the 6th China-South Asia Expo!

  The theme of this China-South Asia Cooperation Forum is "to help each other and promote common development of the region" It is the right time to focus on the real challenges faced by China and South Asia under the background of the century-old changes and the century-old epidemic. As neighbors connected by mountains and rivers and sharing weal and woe, China, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries have been helping each other for a long time, committed to promoting common development in the region, and through this to achieve their own prosperity.

  South Asia is an important direction of China's peripheral diplomacy. "One Road", promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and enhancing practical cooperation in various fields between China and neighboring regions occupies an important position. China and most countries in South Asia have established bilateral relations of strategic partnership or above, and political mutual trust has steadily improved.

  In the past ten years, the trade between China and South Asian countries has doubled, and the total amount has increased from 900 billions of dollars to more than $180 billion. The open multilateral cooperation platform "China-Abbanis-Meng" jointly created by China and relevant countries in South Asia has been actively participated in by Bangladesh and other countries. , Laying a solid foundation for building a China-South Asia community with a shared future. The China-South Asia Expo opened this morning is another vivid example of all-round cooperation between China and South Asia.

  Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

  In 2016, China and Bangladesh established a strategic partnership, Bangladesh It is the first country in South Asia to sign intergovernmental documents related to the Belt and Road Initiative with China. The cooperation between China and Bangladesh is the epitome of China-South Asia cooperation. As the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, I have the honor to witness the fruitful cooperation between China and South Asia from the unique perspective of China-Bangladesh cooperation.

  At the beginning of the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Prime Minister Hasina represented the government and people of Bangladesh Donated much-needed anti-epidemic materials to China, and China reciprocated. After the domestic epidemic was brought under control, it provided a large amount of personal protective equipment, ventilators and vaccines to Bangladesh, and sent a Chinese government anti-epidemic medical expert team to Bangladesh when the epidemic was at its worst. Meng went to work.

  In the first 9 months of this year, the bilateral trade volume between China and Bangladesh was sluggish in the global economic situation Under the background of the strong rebound, it reached 21.35 billion US dollars, an increase of 21.2%. As China's zero-tariff treatment for 98% of Bangladesh's tax items officially came into effect on September 1 this year, Bangladesh is expected to further expand its exports to China, and delicacies such as Bangladeshi shad are expected to appear on the tables of Chinese people.

  In addition, many large-scale projects undertaken by China in Meng have a good harvest this year: The "dream bridge" of the Bangladeshi people - the Padma Bridge was completed and opened to traffic, and the China-Bangladesh Friendship Eighth Bridge was delivered for use. The largest single sewage treatment plant in South Asia - the Dasher Gandhi sewage treatment plant entered the operation and maintenance period, and the first river in South Asia The tunnel under the Karnaphuli River is also expected to be completed within this year.

   It is worth mentioning that the leaders of Bangladesh have always attached great importance to and supported China —South Asia cooperation: Prime Minister Hasina and Speaker Choudhury went to Yunnan to attend the second and third South Asia Expo in 2014 and 2015 respectively. A video speech was delivered at the opening ceremony of the forum.

  From the gratifying results of China-Bangladesh cooperation, we can undoubtedly look forward to the China-South Asia A bright future for cooperation on a higher level, larger scope and newer fields!

  Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

   The Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that at present, the changes in the world , the changes of the times, and the changes of history are unfolding in an unprecedented way. China adheres to the development of friendly cooperation with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, promotes the construction of a new type of international relations, deepens and expands the global partnership of equality, openness and cooperation, and is committed to expanding the convergence of interests with other countries.

   Under the guidance of the ten spirits, we will continue to advance with a more vigorous attitude, realize the joint development of China and South Asia, and inject more positive energy into the development and stability of the world.

         Finally, I wish the 3rd China-South Asia Cooperation Forum and the 6th China-South Asia Expo a complete success!

  Thank you!