The Chinese embassy in Dhaka has reacted to US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E Biegun’s claim on the Rohingya issue.
On October 20, Biegun, during a press briefing in Washington, summarising his trip to India and Bangladesh said that China “has unfortunately done very little to help resolve the Rohingya issue”.
“His claim is inappropriate and not constructive at all,” the embassy said in a facebook statement on Saturday.
“It is everybody’s expectation that Biegun’s visit should focus on the Bangladesh-US relationship.”
“He, however, had started making groundless accusations against China on October 15 even before he left Bangladesh, with reference to China-India border conflicts, tension in the Taiwan Strait, issues in the South China Sea and the Hong Kong national security legislation, which have nothing to do with Bangladesh,” the embassy said
“Such behavior is not only a severe breach of diplomatic protocols, but also a huge disrespect for Bangladesh, the host of his visit, a peace-loving nation who believes “friendship to all and malice to none” should be the way to do diplomacy.”
“Biegun’s remarks on October 20 is simply a continuation of such behavior, using the Rohingya issue, the gravest concern of Bangladesh, to criticize China and promulgate his own bias. Since China and the US have plenty of bilateral channels to solve our problems, Biegun should not have dragged any third party in without prior consent,” read the statement, adding that they both have come here for friendship with Bangladesh.
The embassy said since 2017, China has chaired three rounds of ministerial-level meetings on the Rohingya issue and numerous bilateral and tripartite consultations at the working level.
“Our political and humanitarian efforts started at the very beginning and will continue until a duration solution is found.”