China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has "thanked" Bangladesh for reiterating its firm position on the 'One China policy' as tensions continue between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan.
During bilateral talks on Sunday with Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abul Kalam Abdul Momen, Wang said, "China wants Bangladesh to be on its side."
Shahriar Alam, state minister for Foreign Affairs, said: "We largely know what is happening around Taiwan. China has its own policy. [Wang] thanked Bangladesh and expressed gratitude as we reiterated our position."
The two countries have signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements ranging from disaster management to marine science during Wang's 18-hour stay in Dhaka.
The Chinese foreign minister paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday morning.
Sheikh Hasina has sought Chinese co-operation over the Rohingyas issue as around 700,000 Muslim refugees are placing a heavy financial burden on Bangladesh's limited budget.
"The Chinese Minister said China is trying to reduce Myanmar's internal challenges. Not only Bangladesh but other countries are also facing problems for this," Alam said.
Bangladesh has been urging China and India to pressure Myanmar to take back the Rohingyas, who fled to bordering countries after a massive military operation launched against the ethnic group in the Rakhine state of Myanmar in September 2018.
Myanmar's civilian and military governments have denied committing atrocities against the ethnic community and said the Rohingyas had burned their own homes. The civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi went to the International Court of Justice in 2019, defending Myanmar against charges of genocide.
In May 2021, Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said the Rohingyas are not one of its ethnic groups, as he claimed that these people only emerged since independence from Britain in 1948.