Beijing, Jun 25 (PTI) China and Bangladesh on Thursday agreed to strengthen cooperation on the management of the Teesta and other rivers, and signed several agreements to bolster bilateral ties.
As many as 13 memoranda of understanding (MoU) were reached following talks between Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing.
Rahman was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Great Hall of the People by Premier Li, after which the two sides held delegation-level talks and signed the MoUs, the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency reported.
The MoUs are aimed at broadening ties in areas ranging from investment and trade to education and media collaboration, according Bangladeshi news portal bdnews24.
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Bangladesh, China to strengthen cooperation on Teesta river management; ink 13 MoUs
Beijing, Jun 25 (PTI) China and Bangladesh on Thursday agreed to strengthen cooperation on the management of the Teesta and other rivers, and signed several agreements to bolster bilateral ties. As many as 13 memoranda of understanding (MoU) were reached following talks between Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. […]
K J M Varma 25 June, 2026 09:46 pm IST
Beijing, Jun 25 (PTI) China and Bangladesh on Thursday agreed to strengthen cooperation on the management of the Teesta and other rivers, and signed several agreements to bolster bilateral ties.
As many as 13 memoranda of understanding (MoU) were reached following talks between Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing.
Rahman was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Great Hall of the People by Premier Li, after which the two sides held delegation-level talks and signed the MoUs, the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency reported.
The MoUs are aimed at broadening ties in areas ranging from investment and trade to education and media collaboration, according Bangladeshi news portal bdnews24.
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Discussions were held on increasing Bangladesh’s export capacity so that we can expand exports to China, along with different areas of development cooperation,” Mahdi Amin, the spokesperson of the Bangladeshi prime minister’s office, was quoted as saying by the news portal.
“Talks were also held on concessional loans from China, including ways to reduce interest rates and extend grace periods,” he said.
Rahman is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday before ending his five-day visit to the country.
The understanding on cooperation relating to the Teesta river was reached after a separate meeting, earlier in the day, between Rahman and Chinese Water Resources Minister Li Guoying.
It may have implications for Dhaka-New Delhi ties, given India’s sensitivity over the Teesta water-sharing issue.
The two sides also reached a consensus on expanding cooperation in areas such as the Teesta Master Plan, river management, flood-risk mitigation, river dredging, erosion control, irrigation and inland navigation, BSS quoted PMO spokesperson Amin as saying.
In his meeting with the Chinese water resources minister, Rahman highlighted Bangladesh’s ongoing river excavation programme aimed at reducing flood risks, protecting the environment, and ensuring the proper management of water resources and sought China’s technical assistance, the BSS reported.
On Wednesday,
Rahman told an investors meeting at China’s Dalian city that Bangladesh has finalised an action plan, which includes excavation of 20,000 km of rivers and canals over the next five years and improving water management in the Padma and Teesta rivers.
Last month, the Rahman government formally sought China’s involvement and support for the Teesta River restoration project when Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited Beijing.
The Teesta river flows from the eastern Himalayas through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, where it is a key source of irrigation and livelihoods for millions of people.
China has for years shown interest in developing the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, located near India’s sensitive Siliguri Corridor that connects the mainland with the northeastern states.
Against this backdrop, India in 2024 offered technical and conservation assistance for the Teesta basin, reflecting New Delhi’s efforts to deepen cooperation with Dhaka on transboundary river management.
During his meeting with Bangladesh PM Rahman on Thursday, Premier Li called for a closer partnership aimed at long-term economic cooperation, sustainable growth and mutual prosperity between Beijing and Dhaka, Amin was quoted as saying by BSS.
The Chinese side expressed interest in further strengthening political, economic and people-to-people engagement, and reaffirmed China’s support for Bangladesh’s sovereignty, security and development, said the Bangladesh PMO spokesperson.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Premier Li as saying China is willing to work with Bangladesh to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, import more high-quality products, support capable Chinese enterprises in investing, and expand cooperation in emerging industries such as new energy, digital economy, artificial intelligence and information and communication.
The Bangladesh PM said that developing relations with China is a priority of Dhaka’s foreign policy, adding that his government firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and opposes any form of “Taiwan independence”, Xinhua reported.
Rahman, who heads the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), also held a party-to-party meeting with Liu Haixing, minister of the international department of the Communist Party of China, and an MoU was signed between the two parties.
Rahman, who chose Malaysia for his first visit abroad since assuming office earlier this year, arrived in Dalian from Kuala Lumpur on June 22 where he attended the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions organised by the World Economic Forum. He arrived in Beijing on Wednesday night.
