Chinese premier mourns Khaleda Zia's death, hails her role in strengthening bilateral ties

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has expressed deep condolences over the death of former Bangladesh prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, describing her as a veteran politician and an old friend of the Chinese people.

In a condolence message sent to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Li Qiang said he was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh."

"On behalf of the Chinese government, I would like to extend the deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the Bangladesh side and Begum Khaleda Zia's family," the Chinese premier said.

Li Qiang noted that Begum Khaleda Zia played an important role in advancing relations between the two countries during her tenure as prime minister.

"Begum Khaleda Zia was a veteran politician of Bangladesh and an old friend of the Chinese people," he said, adding that during her time in office, China and Bangladesh established a Comprehensive Partnership of Cooperation "featuring long-term friendship, equality and mutual benefit," which led to significant progress in bilateral relations.

"The Chinese side commends her important contributions to promoting the development of China-Bangladesh relations," the message read.

The Chinese premier reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to Dhaka, saying China values its long-standing friendship with Bangladesh and attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations.

"The Chinese side stands ready to work with the Bangladeshi side to continuously elevate our bilateral relations and bring more benefits to the two countries and the two peoples," Li Qiang said.

Begum Khaleda Zia, a three-time former prime minister and chairperson of the BNP, passed away this morning at the age of 79, drawing condolences from world leaders and international partners.