On the afternoon of April 18, the 2025 Bangladesh Diplomats Delegation to China visited the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) and held opening ceremony in the SIIS. This delegation comprises 21 diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh. Starting from April 18 to 29, they will successively visit Shanghai and Beijing, placing priorities on observing Chinese modernization, AI technology development, and urban & environment governance, experiencing traditional Chinese culture, deepening their understanding of China’s foreign policy, and carrying out exchanges & mutual learning of governance experience. This visit is also one of the events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Bangladesh diplomatic relations.
Prof. Li Kaisheng, Vice president of SIIS, presided over the Opening Ceremony and delivered opening remarks.
Chen Dongxiao, President of SIIS and Chairman of the Academic Board of the Centre for China Studies (SIIS-DU), delivered a keynote speech.
Chen Dongxiao stated that 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Bangladesh diplomatic relations. In late March, Prof. Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Bangladeshi Interim Government, visited China, where he was received with premium courtesy. This not only reflects China’s respect for Prof. Yunus but also demonstrates respect and support for the interim government of Bangladesh and the path independently chosen by its people. China hopes that the policies and reforms conducted by the interim government of Bangladesh will promote the stability, development, and prosperity of Bangladesh. Both as developing countries and members of the Global South, China and Bangladesh share many major interests and concerns at bilateral, regional, and global multilateral levels, with tremendous potential for cooperation. Strengthening cooperation between the two sides plays a pivotal role for regional peace, development, and collaboration.
Mr. Tarik Hasan, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh and Head of Delegation, responded that enhancing interactive exchanges was a major way for countries to foster friendship. People-to-people exchange plays a significant role and is also the purpose of this delegation’s visit to China. He noted that China, apart from being an ancient civilization boasting a profound culture, was also an emerging country that had achieved marvelous accomplishments in various fields. Bangladesh is more than pleased to learn from China by drawing nourishment from China's ancient cultural heritage and modern achievements. As a populous country benefiting from a demographic dividend, Bangladesh is a very youthful nation, with the younger generation enthusiastic about pursuing technological advancement and national development. China has provided the country with positive assistance in multiple areas, such as water resource management. The friendship between China and Bangladesh is profound, and the delegation hopes to deepen the friendship through this exchange.
Following that, Prof. Yang Jiemian, Chairman of SIIS Academic Affairs Council, delivered a lecture to the delegation titled Current International Relations and China’s Foreign Policy.
Prof. Yang indicated that the world was entering a period of turbulences and transformations. On the one hand, the historical trends of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit are unstoppable and are where global opinion trends. On the other hand, the hegemonic, high-handed, and bullying acts of using strength to intimidate the weak, taking from others by force and subterfuge, and playing zero-sum games are exerting grave harm. The deficit in peace, development, security, and governance is growing. Trumpianism exerts great and overall impacts on global governance and existent international organizations. Global South countries need to close their ranks and make concerted efforts for economic and social progresses, political and strategic cooperation, and a fairer and more rational global governance system. Prof. Yang also analyzed considerations and logics of China’s Foreign Policy, and underscored the great importance attached by China to diplomacy with neighboring regions and countries. He also expounded on how China had been driving the construction of a community of shared future of mankind by means of three “Global Initiatives.” Members of the delegation actively interacted with Prof. Yang on topics including Global South issues, artificial intelligence, multilateralism, and how China responded to global uncertainties.
Participants of the Opening Ceremony also included some other staff members of the SIIS, including Zhu Juhua, Director of the Department of International Exchanges, Liu Zongyi, Director of the Center for South Asian Studies and Director of the Centre for China Studies (SIIS-DU), Dr. Li Hongmei and Dr. Tan Chenyi of the Center for South Asian Studies, and Zhu Shicheng who would take the position of Executive Deputy Director of the Centre for China Studies (SIIS-DU) at Dhaka University soon, as well as Ru Qi, Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh.
