Chinese-funded projects in Bangladesh to continue as planned

Chinese funded projects in Bangladesh will continue as planned, the Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen today assured.

“This is my first meeting with the Finance and Planning Adviser since the formation of the interim government. We had a productive discussion. Our relationship with the interim government will continue. We will work together,” said Yao Wen.

He said this after a meeting with Finance and Planning Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed at Bangladesh Secretariat here in Dhaka.

In his speech, Yao Wen said that they will continue their projects and there were discussions about potential of new support. 

Regarding concerns over Chinese loan interest rates, he said, "Objections raised by Bangladesh regarding the interest rates were discussed. There is enough opportunity for further discussions on this matter."

Salehuddin Ahmed mentioned the proposals to lower interest rates on Chinese loans and extended repayment periods by an additional ten years. 

"We have talked with our ambassadors. We will continue the economic matters we have started. We will try to implement these projects. We have requested them to continue their technical and financial support. They have assured us that they will do more than usual. If there are any issues, we will identify them quickly and not delay,” he added.

Salehuddin also noted the challenges left by the previous government, saying, "The previous government created some problems. We didn't need to take on so many projects. Now, we have a debt burden. These are unfortunate things. We will try to help as much as possible."