Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Yao Wen assured that the projects funded by China in Bangladesh will continue as per plan.

He came up with the announcement after emerging from a meeting with Finance and Planning Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed at latter’s office on Tuesday.

It is the first meeting with the Finance and Planning Adviser after the formation of the interim government in Bangladesh, Yao Wen said, adding that an elaborate discussion took place about the potential new support for Bangladesh.

Regarding concerns over Chinese loan interest rates, he said, "Objections raised by Bangladesh regarding the interest rates were discussed. There is an opportunity for further discussions on this matter.

Regarding the concerns raised over the Chinese loan interest rates, Yao Wen said the issue was also discussed during the meeting and there is still a chance for further discussion.

Salehuddin Ahmed mentioned the proposals to lower interest rates on Chinese loans and extended repayment periods by an additional ten years.

"We have talked with our ambassadors. We will continue the economic matters we have started. We will try to implement these projects. We have requested them to continue their technical and financial support. They have assured us that they will do more than usual. If there are any issues, we will identify them quickly and not delay,” he added.

Salehuddin also noted the challenges left by the previous government, saying, "The previous government created some problems. We didn't need to take on so many projects. Now, we have a debt burden. These are unfortunate things. We will try to help as much as possible."

bd-pratidin/GR