China, Pakistan, Bangladesh hold inaugural ministerial trilateral

China, Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to advance cooperation based on the principles of good-neighbourliness, equality and mutual trust at the inaugural trilateral meeting of their foreign ministry officials.

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Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Bangladeshi Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique and Additional Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Imran Ahmed Siddiqui attended the meeting held at the Chinese city of Kunming, capital of Southern Yunnan province, where China is holding its annual South Asia expo.

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch participated, via a video link.

China’s new strategic initiative to bring closer the two estranged South Asian countries in India’s immediate neighbourhood comes a month after a similar trilateral mechanism meeting was held with Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In his address, Weidong said Bangladesh and Pakistan are important partners in high quality Belt and Road cooperation. They also emphasised this cooperation adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism, not directed at any third party.