Beijing, June 205: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that Bangladesh is ready to work with trusted friend China. He said that Bangladesh is open for business, ready for the future. The Prime Minister expressed his interest in working with the country by calling China a 'trusted friend'. To this end, he also announced the opening of Bangladesh's first 'investment office' in China soon.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in a conference titled 'Bangladesh Investment Forum' in Beijing, China on Thursday morning local time. The event was organized at the Diwutai Hotel in Central Beijing.
Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, was present at the time.
Stating that a relationship has been established between Bangladesh and China for many decades, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said that it is a relationship of trust, respect and practical cooperation. Over the years, this relationship has transformed from diplomacy to development, from development to trade and now from trade to a deeper industrial partnership. Bangladesh is undergoing a major economic and administrative transformation, she said, adding that we are standing at an important juncture in our journey.
The Prime Minister made it clear that Bangladesh is open for business, ready for the future and eager to work with one of our long-standing and trusted friends, China. China is moving up the global value chain. Chinese companies are leading the way in advanced manufacturing, high-value infrastructure and green energy. As China moves up the ladder of success, different parts of the manufacturing system will look for new, competitive and reliable locations. Bangladesh can be one of those locations,' the Prime Minister added.
At the conference, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman invited Chinese companies to expand their value chains in Bangladesh. He expressed hope that it would help Chinese companies serve the global market and at the same time benefit from the growing large domestic demand.
Noting that this will be a win-win relationship for both sides, the Prime Minister said that words must be matched by structural actions. To demonstrate our commitment, my government has adopted a rigorous 180-day action plan to overhaul the international capital regime.
Through this plan, we are directly addressing bureaucratic inertia. We are improving long-term policy consistency, reducing multiple regulatory processes, and digitizing government services to increase transparency, predictability, and speed," Tarique Rahman added.
The Prime Minister also assured Bangladesh of strong legal protections for foreign investors and return of capital and dividends in accordance with Bangladesh's laws and regulations to eliminate discriminatory treatment.
He announced the creation of specialized industrial landing centers for Chinese investors, including a Chinese economic and industrial zone in Anwara and a second economic zone in Mongla. These locations provide logistics, port connectivity, services, workers, suppliers, and a long-term ecosystem.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said he is also working to improve our bilateral investment treaty with China. So that investors can get stronger confidence, clear protection and a more modern framework for investment.
