BEIJING: China has been overlooked by Bangladesh, as the Sheikh Hasina administration forced Wang Yi to reschedule his August visit to Dhaka.

Beijing unexpectedly announced Wang's visit to Dhaka in early August without consulting the Bangladeshi government. ET has learned that after consultations, the travel dates have now been set around the weekend of August 7-8. Other dates for Wang's visit were previously announced unilaterally by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

This is the first high-level visit from China to Dhaka in the last five years, despite expanding trade ties and increasing Chinese investment in Bangladesh across sectors.

The Chinese Foreign Minister intends to visit Dhaka. However, I have asked them (China) to change the date of their visit as I will be on a pre-scheduled visit to New York and Cambodia, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters in Dhaka on Friday. Wang Yi will be staying in Bangladesh during his field visits to some ASEAN countries including Cambodia and Mongolia.

In November 2017, Wang made his last visit to Dhaka. According to diplomatic sources in Dhaka, Beijing is ready to discuss political and economic crises in addition to its strategic partnership.

During his visit to Bangladesh, the Chinese minister is likely to discuss several pending issues between the two countries. These include the reaffirmation of several MoUs related to disaster preparedness, cultural exchange and the delivery of the 8th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge to Bangladeshi authorities on the Kocha River in Pirojpur. Chinese money was used to build the 2.96 km long bridge.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative are likely to be discussed during the visit.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar has postponed her visit to Dhaka.

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