Bangladesh expects China to expand its cooperation in key sectors including infrastructure, port management, waste management and renewable energy, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan said on Thursday.He made the remarks during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen at the minister’s office at the Secretariat. State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam was also present at the meeting.The discussions covered a range of issues, including waste management and sewerage systems in Dhaka, housing, the inclusion of Mandarin in Bangladesh’s education curriculum, expansion of the pipeline network needed to make the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) fully operational, and increasing the use of renewable energy.State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said Bangladesh has proposed a Chinese investment of around Tk 10,000 crore to develop modern housing facilities in the Karail, Gulshan and Mohakhali slum areas of the capital.China has initially responded positively to the proposal, with plans to implement the project in phases, he said.At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Yao Wen congratulated Dr Abdul Moin Khan on assuming his new responsibilities and expressed hope that bilateral relations would be further strengthened and areas of cooperation expanded.The local government minister described China as one of Bangladesh’s largest development partners, saying Beijing’s longstanding support has played an important role in the country’s development.“China’s experience, technology and investment in key sectors such as water supply, waste management, renewable energy and urban development can further accelerate Bangladesh’s development efforts,” he said.Ambassador Yao Wen said Bangladesh-China relations had reached a new height following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to China.He said China was interested not only in strengthening economic ties but also in expanding people-to-people connectivity between the two countries.State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said Chinese cooperation in modernising waste management and generating electricity from waste could create significant opportunities for Bangladesh.He said an initiative was being taken to sign an agreement on the issue during his planned visit to China in September.Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan, Dhaka WASA Managing Director Md Moniruzzaman and senior officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting.