The delegation, led by Assistant Minister for Commerce Wang Chao, is coming with trade and investment high on their agenda. A high-power business delegation will accompany him.

Officials here said the Chinese delegation will explore ways of reducing the yawning trade gap between Dhaka and Beijing, particularly by phasing more products from here into their market.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed to set up the planned trade centre with Chinese government assistance.

The two-way trade stood at US$ 3.2 billion in 2006, with the balance heavily tilted towards China. Last year China's export to Bangladesh was worth over $3 billion against Bangladesh's insignificant export amounting only to about US$ 98 million.

China earlier offered zero-tariff treatment to 84 categories of Bangladeshi products under the Bangkok agreement on trade.

On the huge trade imbalance Chinese Ambassador Zheng Qingdian observed his government takes the issue of trade imbalance with Bangladesh seriously and has made substantial effort to solve the problem.

Qingdian mentioned his country has granted tariff-free access to 84 items and preferential tariff treatment to 156 other items of Bangladesh commodities within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (Afta).