H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping
Honorable President of the People's Republic of China
Copy to
- Mr. Li Keqiang, Honorable Premier, People's Republic of China
- Mr. Wang Wentao, Honorable Minister of Commerce, People's Republic of China
- Mr. Wang Yi, Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, People's Republic of China
- Ms. Hu Xiaolian, Party Secretary & Chairwoman, Export-Import Bank of China
- Mr. Liu Shoufeng, International Business Dept, Export-Import Bank of China
- Mr. Yao Wen, Honorable Ambassador, Embassy of China in Bangladesh
- Mr. Song Yang, Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of China in Bangladesh
Dear Sir
Wish you a happy Lunar New Year and a prosperous Spring Festival 2023!
On behalf of the Civil Society of Bangladesh, we wish the Government and the people of China, including those who are living here in Bangladesh, a happy and fulfilling time of celebration and friendship as you renew the bonds between friends and reunite with family during this festival.
As we enter the New Year, we are also passing 47 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between Bangladesh and China, and China emerged as the largest foreign direct investment source of Bangladesh. It is also ranked top among foreign investors, with 104 investors in eight Export-processing Zones of Bangladesh. Chinese companies are currently implementing 27 projects in Bangladesh under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
On this occasion, we would like to recall the letter from the Economic and Commercial Counsellor (ECCO)’s letter to the Ministry of Finance of Bangladesh sent on 2 February 2021 stating that China would no longer consider projects with high pollution and high energy consumption, such as coal mining, and coal-fired power stations. We also recall the speech of President H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly on 21 September 2021, “China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad”. We appreciate the journey of China in the energy transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.
China is embracing a new era of clean energy through innovative construction, cheaper technology, and systematic changes to its energy infrastructure. In this process, the country has built the world’s largest renewable energy generation system with a capacity of 7,142 tWh, and becoming an important force in promoting global green energy development. China is also the largest investor in renewables in the world.
So, we are eagerly waiting to see that the Government of the People's Republic of China has taken necessary actions against the human rights violation at project sites (e.g. S.S. Power Limited), stop financing coal-fired power plants (e.g. Second Phase of Payra 1320 MW Thermal Power Plant Project) and boost up financing for renewables especially Solar and wind power plants so that Bangladesh can achieve the target of implementing 100% renewables by 2050 in line with the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP).
Happy Chinese New Year 2023, once again!
Dr. Kazi Maruful Islam Hasan Mehedi
Convener Member Secretary
Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED)