Senior diplomats from China, Bangladesh, and Pakistan convened in Kunming, Yunnan province, for extensive discussions on enhancing trilateral cooperation. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong led the Chinese delegation, joined by Bangladeshi Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique and Pakistani Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific) Imran Ahmed Siddiqui. Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch participated in the initial segment of the meeting via video link.
Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong articulated China’s commitment, stating, “The Chinese government is committed to building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries.” He emphasized the strong bilateral ties, noting, “Bangladesh and Pakistan are both good neighbors, good friends, and good partners of China, and important partners in high quality Belt and Road cooperation.” Sun Weidong highlighted the shared objectives of the three nations: “As significant members of the Global South and key countries in the region, all three countries face the mission of national revitalization and modernization, and all require a peaceful and stable environment.”
The meeting affirmed that cooperation among China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh serves the common interests of their peoples and bolsters regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity. The three parties agreed to advance trilateral cooperation guided by the principles of good-neighborliness, equality and mutual trust, openness and inclusiveness, common development, and win-win cooperation.
The primary focus of the China-Bangladesh-Pakistan trilateral cooperation will be on fostering economic development and enhancing people’s livelihoods. Specific areas identified for collaboration include industry, trade, maritime affairs, water resources, climate change, agriculture, human resources, think tanks, health, education, culture, and youth. To ensure progress, the sides agreed to establish a dedicated working group tasked with following up on and implementing the understandings achieved during the meeting.
The three sides underscored that their cooperation adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism, affirming it is not directed at any third party. While in Kunming, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong also held a separate call with Mr. Haji Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Acting Deputy Prime Minister of the Afghan interim government. Additionally, Sun Weidong conducted bilateral meetings with Mr. Ruhul Alam Siddique and Mr. Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.
