Dhaka: Longi, the largest solar panel manufacturer globally, has announced plans to establish an office and initiate solar panel manufacturing investments in Bangladesh, according to Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen. The ambassador shared this development during a meeting held at the State Guest House Jamuna with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the decision followed a visit by top Chinese solar panel manufacturers to Bangladesh in December. This visit was prompted by an invitation from Chief Adviser Prof Yunus, encouraging Chinese companies to relocate their manufacturing plants as part of the Interim Government’s strategy to transform Bangladesh into an economic hub. Chief Adviser Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed this initiative.
Ambassador Yao Wen revealed that, among the companies that visited, at least two Chinese firms, including Longi, have resolved to set up offices and production facilities in Bangladesh. “They will invest in Bangladesh very soon,” he assured Prof Yunus. The ambassador emphasized that Chinese enterprises have been the largest investors in Bangladesh since August 5, following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic regime.
Yao Wen also highlighted the interest of numerous Chinese companies in investing in Bangladesh, particularly as a dedicated Chinese export processing zone is anticipated to become operational shortly. He expressed optimism about the upcoming official visit of the Chief Adviser to China, describing it as the most significant in the 50-year-long relationship between the two nations, which he referred to as “trustworthy” and close friends.
Prof Yunus welcomed the prospect of more Chinese investments in Bangladesh, positioning the country as an ideal manufacturing hub for companies aiming to export goods to Western markets. He also encouraged Chinese hospital chains to establish top-tier clinics or engage in joint venture healthcare facilities with Bangladeshi partners.
Highlighting the need for substantial investment in healthcare, Prof Yunus stated, “Bangladesh needs massive investment in healthcare. The Chinese hospital chains now have unique opportunities to construct hospitals here.” Ambassador Yao Wen added that China has allocated four hospitals in Kunming, southern China, for Bangladeshi patients, with a group having already traveled there for treatment last week.
Additionally, the ambassador announced that Peking University, a premier educational institution, would confer an honorary doctorate to Prof Yunus during his visit to China. The Chief Adviser is also slated to deliver a speech at the university.
This visit marks Prof Yunus’s first bilateral foreign tour as Chief Adviser, where he will participate and speak at the Boao Forum, an event regarded as the Davos of the East. During the forum, where top leaders and CEOs convene to discuss global issues, Prof Yunus will deliver a speech on ‘Asia in a Changing World: Towards a Shared Future’. The session will also feature the Chinese executive vice premier.
The Bangladesh Chief Adviser is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 28, with both nations expected to issue a joint statement following their meeting.