Bangladesh surprised over Chinese envoy's comments on Quad

Bangladesh is surprised and shocked over Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming remarks that Bangladesh should not join the "Quad" and that Bangladesh's relations with China will "substantially be damaged" if it joins it.

ET has learnt that the remarks did not go down well in the Bangladesh establishment. Bangladesh as a sovereign country makes its own independent decision and there is surprise over comments made by the Chinese envoy, a Dhaka-based source told ET.

Reacting to Chinese demands Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told local English daily Dhaka Post, 'It is absurd to answer these questions. It's up to us whether we do it or not. And none of us were invited to the quad, nor did we show interest; None of us told. They (China) can only give their opinion as an independent and sovereign state.”


Asked if the government would respond to any remarks made by the Beijing envoy, Momen said, "We do not want to talk about these. We will follow our diplomatic policy. We do not usually welcome these provocative statements.”

The Chinese ambassador said Quad was a "narrow-purposed" geopolitical clique, and Bangladesh should not join it, since it will not derive any benefit from it.

"History has proved again and again such partnership surely damages our neighbours' own social, economic development and people's wellbeing," Ambassador Li said.

The Chinese ambassador was speaking at a programme with the members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) held virtually.

Earlier On April 27, Chinese State Councillor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe visited Dhaka and met President Abdul Hamid and the two sides agreed to advance bilateral military cooperation.