PM’s visit: China seeks comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Bangladesh

Bangladesh and China elevated their bilateral relations to “strategic partnership” from trade and economic cooperation when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Dhaka eight years ago.

Bangladesh also joined the country’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the main enterprise of China’s foreign and strategic policies, at that time as well.

This time China is keen to elevate the relations to another level, to comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Beijing in the second week of July.

This is likely to be reflected in the joint statement that would be issued after the formal meeting of the two sides during the visit of the prime minister.

Diplomatic sources said several years ago the government took a coordinated initiative to implement development infrastructures centering the Matarbari deep sea port after joining Japan’s Initiative of BIG-B (The Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt).

They further said in the same way the government is moving ahead with an initiative to a coordinated infrastructural development (CD) centering the deep sea port at Payra in the southern region of the country. Bangladesh seeks China to be the main partner in the implementation of the CD.

This issue will get special attention during the prime minister’s visit to China, the diplomatic sources added.

A highly placed source in the government said Bangladesh’s expectations in this regard have been conveyed to various levels of Beijing over the last month.

Apart from this, financial assistance to meet the budget deficit and financing new projects would be prioritised during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to China, scheduled to begin from 8 July.

A delegation of China’s EXIM Bank is currently visiting Bangladesh for last-minute discussions on proposed loans to meet the budget deficit and financing new projects, relevant government officials confirmed this correspondent.

Speaking about the preparations for the prime minister’s visit to China, foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen said, “The discussion between the two sides is going on until now. Currently a delegation from China is visiting Bangladesh. We have been going through the matters regarding taking budget assistance from China alongside taking assistance through other processes.”

The relation between the two countries was elevated to “strategic partnership” level when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Dhaka in 2016. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed regarding Bangladesh’s joining the Belt and Road Initiative.

At the same time, decisions were made about China’s debt and financing several mega projects in Bangladesh.

This time China is interested to elevate the relations further. Generally the host country prepares the drafts of various government documents regarding these types of summits. Being the host country now, China has proposed to elevate the relations to “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” in the draft.

According to diplomatic sources, the Chinese Communist Party, through the prime minister’s visit, is interested in strengthening bilateral relationships on the political front. Liu Jianchao, the international department head of the party, conveyed this message during his recent trip to Dhaka.

The two countries would celebrate the golden jubilee of diplomatic relations next year, and China is laying emphasis on extending connectivity at different levels marking the celebration. They expressed interest in trading visits among political leadership, women, youth, physically challenged, and at other layers of the society.

While talking to the media during his Dhaka trip, Liu Jianchao said, “We believe that government policy originates from the perspectives of political parties. This means, the communication between the political parties of the two countries is very helpful to know and understand the mutual relationship between the government and the people. This communication also plays a role in adopting the right policy for each other. This communication is important.”

As a whole, a transition in Dhaka-Beijing relationship and close political ties would be reflected in the joint statement of two countries, said multiple senior diplomats.

After assuming the state power for another term, the government brought to light the issue of including China, or cooperation with China in coordinated development (CD) projects in the country’s southern region, with Payra at its helm. 

When asked in this regard, diplomatic sources mentioned the courtesy call of the Chinese envoy on prime minister in Dhaka on 8 April, the meeting between foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen and Chinese deputy foreign minister in Beijing on 3 June, and the meeting of Liu Jianchao with the prime minister in Dhaka on 24 June.

During all the meetings, the Chinese envoys expressed their sincere interest to cooperate in the development initiative in the southern region.

Chinese ambassador Yao Wen asked for suggestions regarding the future priorities of assistance during the courtesy call on prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Referring to that, the prime minister mentioned China investments centring the Payra deep sea port, according to a reliable source.

One week after that meeting the Chinese ambassador paid a spot visit to the Payra sea port and adjacent areas and talked to relevant officials to learn the ground scenario.

The diplomatic sources termed CPC minister Liu Jianchao’s visit to Dhaka ahead of prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Beijing tour as significant. During the visit he stressed on strengthening political ties between the two countries on behalf of Beijing. He also tried to understand the expectations of Bangladesh from China during the visit.

It has been learnt that the prime minister discussed the future priorities of assistance in the meeting with the important CPC minister last month.

During the meeting, prime minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted the coordinated development plan of the government centring the Payra deep sea port. The prime minister also mentioned that Bangladesh wants China to be a part of the development works in the southern part of the country.

Asked about the coordinated development plan centring the Payra port, the Dhaka officials say the government is focused on developing a hub of regional connectivity centring the Matarbari deep sea port. At the same time, it has taken initiative to run the development programmes in the southern parts of the country keeping the Payra port at the core.

The Economic Relations Divisions (ERD) will take the initiative for infrastructural development in the southern parts. It is basically the future outline for that region. Different ministries will be submitting the proposals for their desired projects in the region to the ERD. After that a list of projects will be prepared based on the proposals submitted.

Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding the possibility of further progress in this regard during the prime minister’s Beijing visit, an official said that Dhaka wants to include in the joint statement that China will be a part of the development works in the southern part of the country. The two sides are in negotiation over this.

Asked about this, security expert and Bangladesh Institute for Peace and Security Studies president Maj. Gen. (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman told Prothom Alo, “I think the proposal to engage China in the development initiative centring the Payra sea port is an effort to maintain balance. Bangladesh has engaged Japan, one of the main allies of the US, in the Matarbari project.”

“There was indication of not engaging China in the Teesta project during the prime minister’s visit to India. Therefore, engaging China with the Payra project means an effort to maintain balance by pleasing China,” he added.

The security analyst further said, “It is also an effort to keep the door of financial assistance open by getting China involved in the development projects in Bangladesh.”

* The report, originally published in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza, Misbahul Haque and Ashish Basu