Beijing explains Taiwan stance to Dhaka amid heightened tensions

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, Beijing has reiterated its 'One China' policy as it explained its position on Taiwan to Dhaka, bdnews24.com reports.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen in Dhaka on Sunday.

The top Chinese diplomat explained that a few countries around the world 'misunderstand' or 'misinterpret' Beijing's stance on Taipei, according to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.

"The events that are happening around Taiwan are widely known. China has its own position and they spoke about the 'One China' policy. Taiwan belongs to China and so, they explained to us the need to follow international norms and conventions," said Shahriar.

Asked about the details of the discussions centring on Taiwan and China's Global Security Initiative, Shahriar said, "They [Beijing] addressed the issue. It wasn't a matter of discussion for us because we have other priorities."

"They explained their position and thanked Bangladesh for reiterating the 'One China' policy."

Yi also highlighted the importance of collaboration in building a shared future for all countries across the world and said Beijing wants Dhaka by its side, according to Shahriar.

Yi arrived in Dhaka on Saturday as part of a multi-legged tour of South and South East Asian nations.

His visit comes amid heightened tension over Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine war, and foreign relations experts had called on Beijing and Dhaka to focus on tackling the situation.

Taiwan has become a flashpoint in the already-fraught US-China relations following US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island last week, to Beijing's great chagrin.

In response, China's People's Liberation Army launched a series of military exercises, including live firing, on the waters and in the airspace surrounding the island of Taiwan.

Emphasising the 'One China' policy, Bangladesh had called on major world powers to avoid conflict and resolve the issue through dialogue.

Ahead of Yi's visit, Shahriar had said Dhaka would not raise the issue of Taiwan on its own, but was ready to address it if it was brought up by Beijing. "Our focus is on the other facets of our relationship with China."

“We do not want anyone to advise or guide us on our internal issues. The people of Bangladesh will decide on them. But China is a friendly country and we support many of their plans.”

CHINA TO RESUME STUDENT VISA SERVICES

After a pause of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, China has announced that it will start issuing visas to Bangladeshi students.

"Due to the pandemic, China had enforced travel restrictions for a long time. There are thousands of Bangladeshi students and we were in regular contact with China," said Shahriar.

"They [Beijing] said they will start issuing visas from Aug 8. They will also start issuing visas for students seeking to return to China in a couple of days. In this case, we will discuss the logistics and other issues with them."