Tarique to meet Chinese Premier Li today; 15 deals expected

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang today at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where the two countries are expected to sign at least 15 MoUs and agreements.

Notable among the deals are those related to the Chinese Economic Zone, the expansion and modernisation of Mongla Port, and green energy.

They are also likely to discuss the Teesta River Management Project and Bangladesh's joining of China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), according to foreign ministry officials.

On his first visit to China since assuming office in February, Tarique Rahman will also attend the Bangladesh Investment Forum today and call on Chinese investors to invest, arguing that the country now enjoys stability and a conducive business environment.

The chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), the chairman of the Export-Import Bank of China (China EXIM Bank), the head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), the Chinese minister of water resources, the president of Chery Group, the chairman of HANDA Group, and the chairperson of Chinatex Corporation are also scheduled to call on him separately.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will host a banquet in his honour.

Tomorrow, Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, will call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Later, he will hold a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.

He will then visit the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) before returning to Dhaka.

In an article, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first visit to China holds historic significance in building on past achievements and charting the way forward.

“This visit will surely inject strong impetus into the development of China-Bangladesh relations in the coming period and promote the upgrading of the China-Bangladesh Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in both quality and substance,” he said.

Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, China-Bangladesh relations will forge ahead with stronger political mutual trust, deeper practical cooperation, and more robust international collaboration, Yao Wen said.

The Chinese diplomat said that during this visit, the leaders of the two countries will have in-depth exchanges on governance experience and share insights on major issues such as development, economic transformation and reform, further strengthen party-to-party exchanges, and promote more frequent high-level interactions and deeper strategic communication.

“It can be expected that, as exchanges on governance experience continue to deepen, political mutual trust between China and Bangladesh will become even stronger, and bilateral relations will continue to make steady and sustained progress,” Yao Wen said.

Tarique Rahman arrived in Dalian, China, on June 22 following a two-day visit to Malaysia.

The next day, he attended the World Economic Forum’s 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (2026 Summer Davos Forum).

From there, he travelled to Beijing by high-speed train on the evening of June 24.