Chinese President Xi Jinping met Bangladesh’s interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, in Beijing citing Chinese state media. The visit comes as Bangladesh looks for new allies amid changing ties with India. Yunus is on a four-day visit to China to strengthen ties and attract investment. Earlier, he attended the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan. This is his first bilateral visit since taking office in August 2024 and coincides with 50 years of Bangladesh-China diplomatic relations.
Bangladesh’s Yunus Visits China
Why In News
- Chinese President Xi Jinping met Bangladesh’s interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, in Beijing, citing Chinese state media. The visit comes as Bangladesh looks for new allies amid changing ties with India. Yunus is on a four-day visit to China to strengthen ties and attract investment. Earlier, he attended the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan. This is his first bilateral visit since taking office in August 2024 and coincides with 50 years of Bangladesh-China diplomatic relations.
What’s On Table
- According to the Dhaka Tribune, in a national address, by Chief Adviser announced that China’s largest solar panel manufacturer, Longji, is interested in setting up a factory in Bangladesh. “We are working with them,” he said, adding that discussions will also cover technical and medical assistance, affordable healthcare, and trade.
- China has shown interest in importing mangoes, jackfruit, and guava from Bangladesh, with exports expected to start soon. Bangladesh and China are set to sign several agreements and MoUs after the meeting between the two leaders.
- These agreements will cover human resource development, economic and technical cooperation, culture, sports, and media collaboration. On the table are discussions aimed at bailing out Bangladesh’s collapsing economy. Key agenda items include a USD 138 million healthcare grant, negotiations for a Bangladesh-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and a revised bilateral investment treaty, reported Dhaka-based The Business Standard.
- China, already a major investor and the biggest trading partner of Bangladesh, must be looking to deepen its economic and strategic footprint.
- With at least 14 Chinese firms investing over USD 230 million since Yunus took charge, Beijing’s influence is growing. Yunus would be looking to secure financial support and infrastructure deals, such as the Chinese Economic Zone in Chattogram, amid diminishing Western aid and souring ties with India. Any increase in China’s involvement in Bangladesh’s critical infrastructure and strategic projects would be of concern for India over Beijing’s expanding footprint in its immediate neighbourhood.
- Beijing also wants Dhaka to support the one-China principle. Dhaka did so under BNP’s Khaleda Zia in 2005, but now-ousted PM Sheikh Hasina didn’t reaffirm support for it.Therefore, the optics of Yunus’ China visit on Independence Day hints at a broader geopolitical churn, one that India is watching closely.
- However, India is not just focused on Bangladesh’s actions beyond its borders but is also closely watching developments within the country. Also, Dhaka’s bilateral engagements that would have an impact on India’s eastern borders are certainly on India’s list of priorities.
Hasina’s Ouster After Student-Led Uprising
- Relations between India and Bangladesh have become strained. The interim government has indicated its intention to seek her extradition to face charges in Bangladesh. Yunus’s visit to China on Bangladesh Liberation Day is seen by some analysts as a strategic message amid evolving dynamics with India.
- Moreover, Prime Minister Modi, in a letter to Yunus on Bangladesh’s Independence Day, reiterated India’s commitment to advancing the partnership between the two countries. Yunus wanted to visit India before China, but did not receive a positive response, his press secretary told The Hindu.
