China's support for Bangladesh helps maintain stability in South Asia

On Wednesday, Bangladeshi leader and interim government chief advisor Yunus began a four-day visit to China. This is his first overseas trip since taking office on August 8th last year.
Bangladesh's diplomatic advisor Uddin said at a press conference on Tuesday that choosing China as the country for his first visit conveys a message. Uddin said that China is a very important friend of Bangladesh, and China holds the same view.
Maria Savisheva, an expert in the South Asia and Indian Ocean group at the Institute of International Economics and International Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, pointed out in an interview with Sputnik News that this information is not only meaningful for China, but also equally important for other countries.
Maria Savisheva, an expert, said, "Bangladesh has a strong interest in developing a partnership with China, while firmly advocating sovereignty in domestic and foreign affairs. China can help defend and strengthen this sovereignty. Bangladesh's situation is difficult, and Yunus is facing criticism from all sides. On the one hand, there are young people who believe that reform can be immediate; on the other hand, there are also some external forces. Bangladesh's external partners point out that the political crisis in Bangladesh is still ongoing. China, on the other hand, is very wise and has positioned itself as a country willing to cooperate with any regime in Bangladesh from the beginning. Therefore, this visit to China is another opportunity for Yunus to showcase his government's effectiveness to domestic and foreign forces
Obviously, support from China is of great significance in enhancing the prestige of the interim government of Bangladesh and stabilizing the South Asian region. Yunus will seek to strengthen this support during his visit. And Bangladesh will hold elections in December.
Qiu Yonghui, the chief expert of the China South Asia Research Center of Sichuan University, pointed out in an interview with the Russian Satellite News Agency that Yunus's visit to China shows the continuity and development of China Bangladesh friendly relations.
Expert Qiu Yonghui said, "An important feature of China Bangladesh relations is that regardless of which political party or faction in Bangladesh is in power, it maintains and develops bilateral friendly relations with China. Historically, whether it is the 'People's Alliance' led by Hasina or the BNP led by Kia, the Bangladeshi government has always pursued a friendly policy towards China. After Prime Minister Hasina was forced to resign and step down last year, some voices in the international community believed that Dr. Yunus, the leader and chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, was trained by the United States and had won the Nobel Prize led by the West, so he may be pro American and anti China. In fact, as early as August 2024, when the interim government of Bangladesh was still dealing with the most urgent task of pacifying the people and restoring social stability, Yunus would have met with the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen, and stated that Bangladesh needed to work closely with China. Yunus' visit to China this time will undoubtedly witness the sustained friendship and stable development of China Bangladesh relations.
Secondly, after the relatively stable political situation in Bangladesh, the joint discussion between Bangladeshi leaders and Chinese leaders on livelihood issues such as new economic development and poverty reduction has significant global significance. Bangladesh is currently facing enormous economic challenges, with weak global economic growth, the Trump administration raising tariffs and potentially implementing policies that could further destabilize the world economy, all of which have added more uncertainty to countries in the global South, including Bangladesh. Yunus' visit to China and attendance at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference demonstrate his commitment to working with the international community, especially developing countries, to find new economic opportunities. When meeting with Chinese leaders, he may once again propose some cooperation plans that will help Bangladesh to develop new industrial layouts. In fact, he raised the issue of manufacturing solar panels in Bangladesh with the Chinese side last year. ”

China has been Bangladesh's largest trading partner in recent years. Although Bangladesh enjoys many opportunities to enter the Chinese market with zero tariffs on its products, its annual trade volume is only $25 billion, of which exports reach $1 billion. The new export opportunities for Bangladesh, especially the increase in sales of agricultural products to China, are expected to become one of the key trade issues in this negotiation.
Yunus' accompanying delegation consisted of 57 people. This includes officials responsible for technology and energy cooperation with China. The visit includes visiting Huawei enterprises. According to data from Bangladesh Bank, the telecommunications industry in Bangladesh has attracted a significant amount of Chinese investment, with $322.45 million allocated for the expansion of 4G and 5G networks.
It is reported that Bangladesh is in talks with solar panel manufacturer LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. regarding potential cooperation terms. This Chinese company is interested in investing in building a factory in Bangladesh.
Expert Qiu Yonghui believes that Yunus' visit to China will inevitably reflect the desire and action of South Asian countries and China to jointly explore climate governance and green development.
Expert Qiu Yonghui said, "Currently, green and sustainable development has become a hot topic of discussion worldwide, and the air and water pollution levels in many South Asian countries are the highest in the world. China shares the concept of climate governance and environmental governance with South Asian countries. For example, Chinese leaders have proposed that 'green mountains and green waters are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver', putting the people first, which is completely consistent with the concept of 'Zero World' advocated by Professor Yunus of Bangladesh - zero carbon emissions, zero unemployment, and zero poverty. In 2024, Yunus called on China to relocate solar panel factories to Bangladesh to promote Bangladesh's green transformation and achieve export trade diversification. This indicates that Yunus not only understands that China is the world's largest solar panel manufacturer, but also recognizes that clean energy is an important part of Bangladesh's future industrial green transformation and an important measure to diversify Bangladesh's export trade, killing two birds with one stone. I believe that Bangladesh and China can work together to find a way for humans and nature to coexist harmoniously, with clean water and clean air while promoting economic development, so that the people of both countries can enjoy a happy life.
The vision of the Chinese side is to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Bangladeshi side, and jointly promote the continuous development of bilateral relations. I believe that although Bangladesh has achieved impressive economic results in the short term by actively undertaking industrial transfer and vigorously developing manufacturing, with per capita income surpassing India, in the long run, Bangladesh's advantages in industrial location and demographic dividend can still be further explored, and the demographic dividend needs to be further released. China will provide the greatest assistance to the economic development of Bangladesh. Therefore, Yunus' visit to China will greatly strengthen the traditional friendship and positive cooperation momentum between China and Bangladesh, and is expected to achieve practical results. ”
According to official data from Bangladesh, as of September 2024, China's foreign direct investment in Bangladesh has increased to 2.67 billion US dollars, thereby consolidating China's position as the second largest investor in Bangladesh. The textile industry is the backbone of Bangladesh's export economy, receiving the largest share of China's direct investment, reaching 760.14 million US dollars. The trade sector attracted Chinese investment of 203.78 million US dollars. China's investment in export processing zones is also steadily increasing.
The possibility of attracting new Chinese investment into Bangladesh's economy and infrastructure will be the focus of this Chinese meeting. The growing interest of Chinese investors in Bangladesh reflects the potential of the local market. At the same time, this has great appeal as an alternative to traditional manufacturing centers and a more proactive way to diversify capital investment in the context of the US China trade and tariff war. Chinese companies are constantly seeking new manufacturing locations, especially in the semiconductor industry, and the new geopolitical reality has brought more opportunities to Bangladesh.
The Beijing talks may accelerate the establishment of the China Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) project in Chittagong. This project was launched nine years ago with the aim of attracting more foreign investment. Under the leadership of the current interim government, it is highly likely that the implementation of the project will be accelerated as the current interim government requires new economic growth drivers.