China is willing to work together with Bangladesh led by a new government to advance their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a routine news briefing on Friday.
Lin made the remarks in response to a question regarding the Bangladeshi parliamentary election on Friday, in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party secured a significant lead, with Chairman Tarique Rahman poised to become the next prime minister.
"China noted that Bangladesh held a smooth and successful national election, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party securing a significant lead. China supports Bangladesh's domestic political will and stands ready to work with Bangladesh to continuously advance the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership," he said.
China stands ready to advance relations with Bangladesh after its new election: spokesperson
Israeli military strikes on Lebanon, launched shortly after the United States and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire, have drawn widespread condemnation across the Middle East, yet Israel vowed to continue fight against Hezbollah.
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect early Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Wednesday expressed support for the U.S. decision to suspend strikes on Iran for two weeks, but explicitly stated that the ceasefire does not include Lebanon.
On the same day, U.S. Vice President JD Vance also denied the inclusion of Lebanon in the ceasefire, noting that Iran had assumed the ceasefire covered Lebanon but the U.S. never made such a commitment.
In response, Mohsen Rezaee, military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, posted on social media late on Wednesday that Iran stands firmly with Hezbollah and will jointly punish Israel for its actions.
The strikes across Lebanon have caused heavy casualties. According to Lebanese Civil Defense, at least 254 people have been killed and 1,165 others injured, with densely populated neighborhoods in Beirut among the hardest hit.
The continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon have drawn strong condemnation from several regional countries. Iraq, Qatar, and Egypt, among others, have condemned Israel's actions.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit described the ceasefire as an important step in the right direction to de-escalate tensions and prevent the region from sliding into catastrophic scenarios.
He urged Israel to respect the spirit of the ceasefire arrangements and immediately halt its military operations in Lebanon.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon trigger regional condemnation
