On June 9, 2014, Sheikh Hasina, visiting Prime Minster of Bangladesh, said that China would be the world's biggest economy in the near future, when answering questions from reporters at a forum held by the China Institute of International Studies.

Prime Minister Hasina is deeply impressed by China's development and changes.

"From my first visit to China in 1993 till the present, I have witnessed the great development of China. I think Bangladesh can learn a lot from China - the way China develops. I believe, in the near future, China will be the world's biggest economy. As an Asian country, Bangladesh takes pride in that," she said.

In the speech, titled "Socioeconomic achievements of Bangladesh in recent years and partnership with China", Prime Minister Hasina introduced Bangladesh's own achievements in recent years in developing the economy, improving standards of living, promoting democracy and the rule of law, and other areas, and called for deeper economic and cultural cooperation between China and Bangladesh.

In recent years, Bangladesh has actively developed its economy to create employment opportunities, as well as providing a range of welfare benefits to people living in poverty, such as housing, food, free medicine and free education. Through the efforts made by the Bengali government, the child mortality rate has fallen and life expectancy has increased. Having succeeded in making a great contribution to poverty alleviation and human development, Bangladesh has now been widely recognized as a model of the developing economy.