BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday congratulated his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid on the latter's reelection for the second consecutive term in office.

China and Bangladesh are traditionally friendly neighbors, Xi said.

During Xi's successful state visit to Bangladesh in October 2016, the two leaders agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership of cooperation, which heralded a new era for accelerated cooperation.

The Chinese side attaches great importance to the development of China-Bangladesh ties, Xi said.

China is willing to work with Bangladesh to dovetail development strategies of both nations, jointly advance the Belt and Road Initiative, and inject new impetus into the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation, he added.