Bangladesh under pressure from India, China over joining Quad

After Chinese Ambassador to Dhaka Li Jiming’s comments it has now become clear that Bangladesh is under pressure from two giant neighbours — India and China — over joining the ‘Quad’.

The top Chinese envoy in Dhaka on Monday categorically said that Bangladesh-China relationships will face a setback if it joins the US-led anti-China strategic alliance ‘Quad.’

Beijing considers US, Japan, India and Australia initiated the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad as a narrow-purposed anti-China platform, the ambassador said. South Korea and the UK are also mulling joining the platform.

“Relations between China and Bangladesh will be affected adversely if Dhaka joins the Quad,” he said while addressing a virtual programme organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (DCAB) this noon.

Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe visited Dhaka in the last week of April and discussed several issues including Quad and urged it not to be a part of the alliance, diplomatic sources confirmed.

During the programme, the Chinese ambassador was asked about Dhaka’s stance, but he did not make any reply in this regard.

“I am telling very clearly that it is a narrow-purposed anti-China alliance. Such partnerships will surely hurt our neighbours, social economic development and people’s peace and progress,” he said.

When China has taken a tough stance against the Quad forum, India, a member of the alliance, wants Bangladesh to join it, diplomatic sources and officials in the Economic Relations Division (ERD) confirmed the Business Insider Bangladesh.

The two countries discussed the issue several times at different levels. “But Bangladesh is yet to take any decision, whether joining Quad or not,” an ERD official said.

When asked Md Touhid Hossain, former foreign secretary of Bangladesh, said Quad has mainly been formed to contain China and it will not be wise for Bangladesh to join this informal alliance.

“We all know that the initiative has been taken to contain China. It will not bring any benefit if Bangladesh joins the Quad. I think Bangladesh should refrain from joining it,” Hossain said.

Bangladesh-China trade and investment

In recent years, both economic factors and proactive foreign policy have facilitated Sino-Bangladesh economic relations to grow manifold, according to the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

The relationship spans from trade and investment to education and health. There are wider future possibilities for both countries in terms of trade and investments.

There is an increasing interest in investment and growth in exclusive economic zones and Bangladesh has a strong commitment to close economic cooperation with China.

China is the largest trading partner of Bangladesh that relies on China for one-fifth of the country’s imports now.

China has pledged to invest over $24 billion in Bangladesh under its Belt and Road Initiative.

Bangladesh-India relationships

India is Bangladesh’s closest neighbour and one of top two trading partners for the past five decades since the country became independent in 1971. India has a huge influence on Bangladesh because of proximity and similarity in culture, language and foods. The country has also helped Bangladesh a lot in getting independence from Pakistan.

Bilateral trade between the countries stood over $10 billion in 2019-20. Of which, Bangladesh exported goods worth $1 billion to India.

Bangladesh and India also engaged in different common forums, such as, SAARC, BIMSTEC and BBIN.

India is Bangladesh’s one of the biggest development partners, with New Delhi extending three lines of credit amounting to $8 billion to Dhaka over the last nine years for the development of infrastructure, including roads, railways, shipping and ports.