Up to 17 deals expected during PM’s China visit: Foreign Secretary

Bangladesh and China are expected to sign up to 17 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to China, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said on Saturday (June 20).

The announcement came during a press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of the prime minister’s official visits to Malaysia and China, scheduled from June 21 to 26.

Responding to questions from journalists, the foreign secretary said both countries are currently finalising a broad package of bilateral instruments aimed at strengthening cooperation across multiple sectors.

According to Siam, the proposed package may include 13 memorandums of understanding, two formal agreements, one action plan and one protocol, bringing the total number of potential bilateral instruments to between 15 and 17.

The expected signings are being viewed as a significant step toward deepening Bangladesh-China relations, particularly in areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure development, connectivity and economic cooperation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to begin his six-day foreign tour on June 21 with a visit to Malaysia before travelling to China for a series of high-level meetings with senior Chinese leaders, government officials and business representatives.

Officials hope the visit will further strengthen strategic ties between Dhaka and Beijing while opening new avenues for investment, development cooperation and regional partnership.