A delegation from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), led by Director Bai Chunli, visited Bangladesh March 27 to 29. CAS representatives hope to extend the so-called ‘Green’ Belt and Road to Bangladesh by strengthening cooperative ties between the two countries in the field of ecological protection.

In an interview with our reporter, Bai Chunli said that the CAS will strengthen cooperation with Bangladesh in terms of environmental governance and personnel training.

During their visit to Bangladesh, CAS staff members renewed a previous exchange and cooperative agreement with their counterparts at the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS). Meanwhile, the CAS Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC). The two sides agreed to join hands in studying the impact of the Indian monsoon on the ecological environment and flooding in Bangladesh under the Third Pole Environment International Plan.

The CAS Ecological Environment Research Centre also signed a cooperation agreement with Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), with the purpose of strengthening cooperative research and personnel training in the fields of environmental pollution and drinking water safety.

In recent years, CAS has implemented an international programme to cultivate scientific and technologically skilled workers for Belt and Road countries. At present, more than 100 Bangladeshi people, mostly doctoral candidates, are studying at various CAS institutes.