Wei made the remarks when he called Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid here and the two sides agreed to advance bilateral military cooperation, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency from Dhaka reported.

His comments came at a time when the United States, India, Australia and Japan, as part of the Quad grouping, agreed to enhance their cooperation in the strategic Indo-Pacific in the midst of the China’s growing assertion in the region.

China vehemently opposed the formation of the Quad with a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stressing that exchanges and cooperation between countries should help build mutual understanding and trust, instead of targeting or harm the interests of third parties.

His comments after the first Virtual Quad Summit attended by US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on March 12.

Wei said during his meeting with President Hamid that China and Bangladesh have been friendly neighbors since ancient times and have a long history of bilateral ties, adding that now the two countries are at a crucial time in the national rejuvenation and development, taking advantage of a synergy between their development strategies and a broad perspective of cooperation.

“To jointly maintain regional peace and stability, the two sides should make joint efforts against powers outside the region who establish a military alliance in South Asia and practice hegemonism,” said Wei, also an adviser to the region. State.

He said China is willing to work with Bangladesh to properly implement the important consensus reached among their leaders to further develop the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation.

With their cooperation extended, the two armies are expected to further increase high-level visits, deepen cooperation in equipment technology, expand exchanges in specialized areas and forge closer military ties, he said.

During the meeting, Hamid said that Bangladesh and China are trusted friends and reliable strategic cooperation partners, adding that Dhaka attaches great importance to its relations with China and strongly supports China’s core interests.

The Bangladeshi president called on the two countries to strengthen coordination in international affairs and commit to safeguarding peace, stability, prosperity and development in the region, according to the Xinhua report.

Hamid said he hoped the two armies will continue to strengthen their practical cooperation in various fields, pushing for greater progress in their relationship.

He also expressed his gratitude for China’s strong support to his country in developing its economy and national defense.

“The Chinese Defense Minister said Beijing will continue its strategic cooperation in the development of the armed forces of Bangladesh as the military cooperation between the two countries gradually increases,” a spokesperson from Bangabhaban – the presidential palace told PTI. .

President Hamid praised Beijing’s willingness to strengthen bilateral defense ties in the days to come, his press secretary Joynal Abedin said.

According to Abedin, Wei said Beijing also wants to strengthen cooperation with Dhaka in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic while working to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

“China is also working to resolve the Rohingya problem,” China’s defense minister said.

According to the presidential palace spokesman, President Hamid reminded the Chinese minister that Bangladesh wanted Beijing to use its good offices to persuade Myanmar to take back the forcibly displaced Rohingya as it had very good relations with Myanmar.

President Hamid described China as one of Bangladesh’s most important development partners.

“Bangladesh-China relations are gradually developing in various fields, including trade and investment,” the president said.

Chinese investments, especially in infrastructure and communications sectors, played a very important role in the socio-economic development of Bangladesh, he said.

Hamid appreciated Beijing’s willingness to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, saying Bangladesh is also keen to work with China on this matter.

Bangladesh is also keen to take joint initiatives in research and production of corona vaccines, he added.

Also on Tuesday, Wei held in-depth talks with the head of the Bangladeshi army, General Aziz Ahmed, about the international and regional situation as well as relations between the two countries and the two armies.