Bangladesh, China’s Yunan agree to boost trade, investment and connectivity

The consensus emerged at a meeting between Bangladesh Consul General in Kunming Shahanaz Ranu and Li Chaowei, Director General of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Commerce, at his office today, said a press release here.

During the meeting, the consul general expressed Bangladesh's readiness to work closely with the Yunnan provincial authorities to implement the agreements and memorandums of understanding signed during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's state visit to China in June this year.

She thanked the provincial commerce department for its support in ensuring Bangladesh's successful participation as the Theme Country at the 10th China-South Asia Expo and expressed hope for similar cooperation in the next edition.

Appreciating Bangladesh's textile and jute industries, Li expressed interest in developing the expo into an effective platform for facilitating the entry of Bangladeshi products into the Chinese market.

The two sides also discussed progress in establishing a Bangladesh Pavilion and a bonded warehouse in Kunming under the "Three Frees and Three Facilitations" policy.

Shahanaz said the location for the pavilion had been finalised on September 7, 2026, and that she had personally visited the site. She expressed interest in launching the pavilion soon with support from the provincial commerce department.

Li said the department's cross-border e-commerce division would be responsible for implementing the policy and would support the promotion of Bangladeshi products on Chinese e-commerce platforms.

Recalling the Bangladesh commerce minister's visit to Yunnan in June, he said the department was working to advance the issues discussed during the visit, particularly cooperation among energy-sector enterprises.

On agricultural cooperation, the consul general referred to Bangladesh's participation in the Fruit Festival held in Kunming last month and called for expediting the implementation of the mango export protocol.

She also sought opportunities for exporting guavas and other Bangladeshi agricultural products to China, stressing the importance of agricultural cooperation for a country like Bangladesh, where agriculture remains a major economic sector.

Highlighting Yunnan's balanced progress in economic development and green energy, Shahanaz said Bangladesh was also committed to addressing climate and environmental concerns.

Noting that both Bangladesh and China are members of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), she called for exchanging knowledge and experience in renewable energy and invited Yunnan-based companies and businesspeople to visit Bangladesh to explore investment opportunities.

Li said Yunnan's renewable energy companies would be encouraged to undertake study visits to Bangladesh to explore potential areas of cooperation.

Connectivity was another key issue discussed at the meeting.

Shahanaz said only one airline currently operates direct flights between Kunming and Dhaka and expressed Bangladesh's expectation that additional airlines would introduce regular services on the route.

She also referred to the consensus reached during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on establishing a connectivity corridor between the two countries.

Bangladesh, she said, was interested in developing direct connectivity with Yunnan, similar to the links the province maintains with Laos and Vietnam. Li expressed a positive attitude towards expanding connectivity.

The consul general also welcomed the participation of several Yunnan-based companies in the Global Sourcing Expo scheduled to be held in Dhaka in November and called for greater participation by Chinese companies.

She further invited them to participate in a subsequent expo organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

First Secretary (Commercial) of the Bangladesh Consulate General Ridwanur Rahman and senior officials of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Commerce, including its director for South Asian affairs, were present at the meeting, reports BSS.