Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy call on Social Welfare Minister Professor Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain and State Minister Farzana Sharmin at the minister’s office in Dhaka on March 30, 2026. The meeting was attended by the ministry’s secretary, Dr. Mohammad Abu Yusuf, and a three-member Chinese delegation. Both sides discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in social welfare and digital technology.

Minister Zahid Hossain described China as a long-standing friend of Bangladesh and highlighted the government’s Family Card initiative, a database-based digital social protection platform aimed at improving education, health, nutrition, poverty reduction, and women’s empowerment. He noted that China’s experience in smart card technology could be valuable in making the program more transparent and technology-driven.

Ambassador Yao Wen praised the Family Card program’s popularity among low-income groups and expressed China’s willingness to deepen cooperation in social protection, education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation. Both parties expressed optimism about further strengthening Bangladesh-China bilateral relations through mutual collaboration.