US statement breach diplomatic protocols: Chinese embassy Diplomatic
Online Desk: United States deputy secretary of state Stephen E Biegun ( L) speaks at a press briefing in Dhaka on October 15.
The Chinese embassy in Bangladesh on Saturday said that a statement of the United States deputy secretary of state Stephen E Biegun involving Rohingya issues, China, and Bangladesh was inappropriate and a breach of diplomatic protocols.
Stephen E Biegun said during a press briefing in Washington DC on October 20, summarising his trip to India and Bangladesh, that China ‘has unfortunately done very little to help resolve the Rohingya issue’. His claim is inappropriate and not constructive at all, Chinese embassy in Dhaka said in a Facebook post.
The embassy stated it was everybody’s expectation that Biegun’s visit should focus on 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 had nothing to do with Bangladesh.
‘Such behaviour 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,’ the embassy said.
Biegun’s remarks on October 20 were simply a continuation of such behaviour, using the Rohingya issue, the gravest concern of Bangladesh, to criticise China and promulgate his own bias, according to the statement.
Biegun should not have dragged any third party in without prior consent as China and the US have plenty of channels to solve bilateral problems.
China, since 2017, chaired three rounds of ministerial-level meetings and numerous bilateral and tripartite consultations at the working level on the Rohingya issue.
China’s political and humanitarian efforts started in the very beginning and would continue until a duration solution is found, the embassy added.
