Visiting Chinese State Council Minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office Chen Xu addressed at a seminar in the capital on Monday. Photo: Collected

DHAKA, Nov 18, 2025 (BSS) - China's 15th Five-Year Plan of China will chart the country's development roadmap for the next five years and open new avenues of cooperation with Bangladesh, Chinese and Bangladeshi speakers have said at a seminar here, calling the proposal a 'win-win' opportunity for the partners.

Speaking as the chief guest, visiting Chinese State Council Minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office Chen Xu said the new plan, recently approved by the Communist Party of China, would serve as the overarching framework for China's economic and social development and create broader scope for collaboration with developing countries, particularly Bangladesh.

"At this special moment marking the 50th anniversary of China-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, mutual understanding and cultural exchanges between our peoples are deepening," she said, adding that under the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, the comprehensive strategic partnership had become "even stronger".

She was addressing the seminar titled "Promoting Joint Development between China and Bangladesh by Sharing the Opportunities of China's 15th Five-Year Plan" at Apan Friendship Exchange Center in the capital on Monday. 

The Apan Friendship Exchange Center organized under the overall supervision of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, while China Media Group's Center for Asian and African Language Programs acted as co-organiser.

Chen Xu said that China's 15th Five-Year Plan would outline the development roadmap for the next five years and bring new opportunities for cooperation with Bangladesh, especially in areas aligned with Bangladesh's long-term aspirations for high growth, industrialisation and technological upgrading.

Terming both China and Bangladesh "important partners of the Global South", the Chinese minister said there remained vast potential for mutual cooperation across trade, investment, technology and people-to-people contacts.

She noted that China has long been Bangladesh's largest trading partner and said various Chinese development projects were making "visible contributions" to Bangladesh's economic and social progress.

Calling for more exchanges, Chen Xu urged media professionals, business leaders and entrepreneurs from Bangladesh to visit China more frequently and explore joint initiatives in energy, infrastructure, the digital economy and the green economy.

She said the Chinese diaspora in Bangladesh had long served as a "golden bridge" in bilateral relations, pointing out that their initiatives helped bring in industrial clusters-particularly in the textiles and garments sector-which have played an important role in Bangladesh's industrial growth and employment.

The minister said overseas Chinese entrepreneurs were also actively participating in the implementation of the goals under China's proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI), in which Bangladesh stands as a key partner in the region.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said the 15th Five-Year Plan was not only a crucial step in China's modernization journey but also created "new opportunities for global development partners", including Bangladesh.

He said the plan, focusing on high-quality development, reform and innovation and public welfare, would serve as the roadmap for China's economic and social advancement during 2026-2030 and, at the same time, open new doors for future China-Bangladesh cooperation.

Next year would mark both the first year of implementing the 15th Five-Year Plan and the 10th anniversary of Bangladesh joining the Belt and Road Initiative, a "historic opportunity" to take bilateral cooperation to a new height, the envoy noted.

He said China was ready to enhance industrial cooperation and capacity-building in technology transfer, infrastructure, modern agriculture, advanced manufacturing and the digital economy, and was keen to share its experience in poverty reduction, rural development and industrialisation with Bangladesh.

The ambassador expressed hope that through joint efforts China-Bangladesh relations would reach "even greater heights" and that the two countries would jointly open a new chapter of development and prosperity.

Managing Director and Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Mahbub Morshed noted that China's remarkable development trajectory has drawn global attention and serves as an important source of inspiration.

 
"We also want to be part of that future. I believe China's development planning and implementation methods can be highly instructive for us," he said. 

Speaking on agricultural cooperation, Bangladesh Representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Shi Qiaochun said, with the support of the Bangladesh government and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) project was playing an important role in the sustainable production of Bangladesh's specialty crops, export diversification, climate resilience and market expansion.

President of Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh Han Kun said China was now preparing for the full implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, creating a "broader platform" not only for Chinese companies but also for Bangladesh-China cooperation.

President of the Bangladesh Employers' Federation (BEF) Fazle Shamim Ehsan said China's 15th Five-Year Plan had opened fresh opportunities by prioritising high-quality development, green technology, innovation, digital transformation and global connectivity, thereby creating new avenues for joint collaboration in strategic sectors.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hasan Khan urged China to extend its existing duty-free and quota-free market access for Bangladesh by another three to five years as the country prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.

He also stressed the urgency of signing a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to lock in long-term trade preferences and reduce tariff barriers. 

Former Bangladeshi Ambassador to China Mahbub Uz Zaman described Minister Chen Xu's Dhaka visit as a "strong testimony" to the growing friendship between the two nations.

He added that Bangladesh could derive even greater benefits from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which would help strengthen local industries, diversify exports and expand South-South cooperation.

Among others, Apan Friendship Exchange Center Vice President Jahangir Alam Rana, Bangladesh Council for Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China Executive President Chang Qingbin, Overseas Chinese Association Vice Presidents Kan Qiaoping and Zhao Xibo, Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Md Khorshed Alam, Bangladesh China Friendship Center President A.S.M. Kamal Uddin, its Vice President Mizanur Rahman, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Bangladesh Communications Head Li Xun and Bangladesh Economic Reporters Forum President Daulat Akhtar Mala attended the seminar.