PM Hasina’s remarks echo large part of int’l community

China on Wednesday said that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remarks on US sanctions echo the mind of a large segment of the world community.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina spoke not just the strong position of the Bangladeshi people, but also the mind of large part of the international community, especially the developing world,” China foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to a question.

In a question, a correspondent of Global Times, an English-language Chinese newspaper under the People’s Daily, pointed out, “We have noted that recently Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on several occasions that she found US sanctions on Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) puzzling and that sanctions were like a game. ‘It [US] has the power to topple the government in any country,’ she [Hasina] said. Bangladesh is not afraid of sanctions and she has instructed the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning to stop buying anything from countries that impose sanctions on Bangladesh. What’s China’s comment?”

Responding to this question, the spokesperson said, “We have noted the recent remarks by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Indeed, while turning a blind eye to its own racial discrimination, gun violence and drug proliferation problems, a certain country has long been interfering in the internal affairs of Bangladesh and many other developing countries under the pretext of democracy and human rights.”

He also said China and Bangladesh have been traditional friendly neighbours. “We firmly support Bangladesh in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, upholding independent domestic and foreign policies, and pursuing a development path that suits its national realities.”

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