Beijing | Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met President Xi Jinping and her Chinese counterpart Li Qiang here on Wednesday as the two countries signed 21 agreements, MoUs and announced seven more projects to further elevate their strategic cooperative ties.

During the meetings, both countries agreed to elevate their "strategic partnership" to a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership,” Bangladesh's state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported.

China will help Bangladesh economically in four ways by giving grants, interest-free loans, concessional loans and commercial loans, the Chinese President said during the bilateral meeting with Hasina, it said.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Bangladesh's State Minister at the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications & Information Technology posted a photo of the two leaders' meeting on X and said, “Hon'ble President of China, H E Mr Xi Jinping met and held a bilateral meeting with the Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.”

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud briefed the newsmen about the outcome of the meeting between the two leaders and described it as: “A very successful discussion was held between the two leaders in a very cordial environment.” Giving out details about the Li-Hasina meeting, BSS said the agreements were inked in the presence of Hasina and Li after the delegation-level talks between the two countries.

Earlier, the Bangladesh prime minister was accorded a red carpet reception and greeted by Premier Li as she reached for the bilateral meeting.

The bilateral talks mainly featured the Rohingya issue, business, trade and commerce, investments, and bilateral relations alongside various regional and international matters.

The instruments on cooperation in the economic and banking sector, trade and investment, digital economy, infrastructure development, assistance in disaster management, construction of 6th and 9th Bangladesh-China friendship bridges, export of agricultural products from Bangladesh and people-to-people connectivity were signed, the BSS report said.