Senior Colonel Zhang Wei, Chinese Defence Attaché’ in Bangladesh on Tuesday said Bangladesh-China defence relations reached ‘unprecedented’ heights in recent years. He highlighted the rapid progress in China-Bangladesh military cooperation in the last few years, hailing it the unprecedented level of cooperation.
Zhang Wei was addressing a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on the occasion of the 88th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday. Notably, he said, Air Chief Marshal Xu Qiliang, Vice Chairman of Chinese Central Military Commission and Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of China, visited Bangladesh with great success. The topmost Chinese delegation met President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and signed a series of agreements with Bangladesh counterparts, Zhang Wei said.
He mentioned that Chinese PLA Navy hospital ship ‘Peace Ark’ visited Chittagong again and provided humanitarian medical services for the local people. “Bangladesh so far is the only country in the world to receive Chinese medical ship twice.”
Over the past three decades, Bangladesh and China have maintained close defence ties, said a press release from Chinese Embassy. China is not only a reliable and affordable source of weapons and equipments for Bangladesh armed forces, but also provides military technology and training, it said.
During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to China, the two sides agreed to forge closer defence relations in the future which includes a growing number of high-level exchange visits, training programmes, joint exercises, defence procurement, security cooperation such as counter terrorism, anti-piracy, peacekeeping cooperation and disaster management.
