Beijing (Rajeev Sharma): China has officially backed Bangladesh’s participation in the BRICS alliance and endorsed its application to become a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while simultaneously reaffirming support for the controversial Teesta River development project. The announcements were formalized in a comprehensive joint communiqué issued following Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s high-profile five-day state visit to Beijing, where he held extensive bilateral discussions with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Amid simmering geopolitical anxieties in New Delhi regarding Beijing’s expanding footprint in the subcontinent, Chinese officials asserted that the deepening bilateral cooperation is strictly a livelihood initiative and not targeted at any third party.
The diplomatic summit resulted in both nations agreeing to elevate their existing Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership into a deeper, institutionalized alignment. To solidify this framework, Dhaka and Beijing will establish a strategic dialogue mechanism between their respective foreign ministers and explore a comprehensive “2+2” dialogue format involving senior diplomatic and defense officials. On the economic front, the two countries pledged to significantly expand cooperation in trade, green energy infrastructure, and industrial development, highlighting the planned modernization of the strategic Mongla Port and the accelerated development of the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Chattogram.
A key focus of the visit centered on the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, with China pledging immediate technical assistance to expedite pending feasibility studies and structural planning. Addressing India’s long-standing security reservations about Chinese engineers operating near its sensitive chicken’s neck corridor, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated at a media briefing that regional developmental cooperation should remain free from external third-party influence. While Dhaka reiterated its strict commitment to the “One China” policy, Beijing pledged to support Bangladesh’s sovereignty and advance its institutional role within global multilateral bodies, reinforcing their shared vision for regional stability.
