[ad_1]
China has telephoned the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry to express regret for receiving a gift from Taiwan in response to the coronavirus epidemic.
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Chinese embassy had verbally relayed the message to the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
However, Bangladesh has informed China that Bangladesh believes in the one-China policy. This is not a separate formal communication with Taiwan.
The Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We have received a phone call from the Chinese embassy informing them of your distress.” They wanted to know everything. We have assured them that Bangladesh believes in the one China policy and that attitude has not changed. “
He said that after speaking with the ministers who participated in the event, they found out that they had gone to a private organization.
The Chinese embassy was also informed, the official said.
What happened
Taiwan provided a series of medical supplies through an event in Dhaka on August 31. Present on the occasion were three ministers and three secretaries from the Bangladesh Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Commerce and Post and Telecommunications.
An organization called the Taiwan Foreign Trade Development Council delivered a lakh of surgical masks, 1,600 N-95 masks, 20,000 cloth masks, 10,000 face shields, PPE, goggles, and two sets of ventilators to the Ministry of Health.
This semi-governmental Taiwanese non-profit organization works to expand Taiwan’s business in several countries.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, one of the three ministers present at the event, said: “We did not know that gifts were being taken from Taiwan. We were told that Walton would give some gift items to the Ministry of Health. It was organized by the Ministry of Health.
“We went there and we found out that they had been sent from Taiwan. We didn’t even know it, we didn’t know it had anything to do with Taiwan.”
What is the impact on Bangladesh-China?
Munshi Fayez Ahmed has served as Bangladeshi Ambassador to China.
He says that a special condition for maintaining relations with China is to believe in the one-China policy. With the exception of that, China is not happy about it. When Bangladesh and most other countries in the world talk about the “One China” policy, they abide by it.
He said that many powerful countries may be exceptions, but they do not hesitate to point out that China is not happy there either.
“China does not prohibit any country from doing business with Taiwan, it is not their policy. But they want to keep in mind that Taiwan is not a separate state. No such relationship should be established.
Citing the example of the gift-giving ceremony, he said that three ministers had left, which might not be to China’s liking. That’s normal.
“It just came to our notice then. Maybe there is the possibility of a misunderstanding. However, I think the government has no problem with this. Because this government has no idea of giving special importance to Taiwan. But it may not. have a clear idea of where the limits are. “
“We may be able to do something that is not right in their eyes. So we need to be more vigilant about these in future,” he said. BBC
[ad_2]
