[🇧🇩] Bangladesh-China-Pakistan---A Trilateral Strategic Alliance.

[Saif]

Date of Event: Jun 22, 2025

Source: https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/kzo6s1oble

Kunming summit
Bangladesh, Pakistan, China agree to advance trilateral cooperation

Diplomatic Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 21 Jun 2025, 22: 47

Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Pakistani Additional Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui attended a trilateral summit in Kunming Collected

Bangladesh, Pakistan and China agreed to advance trilateral cooperation based on the principles of good-neighbourliness, equality and mutual trust, openness and inclusiveness, common development, and win-win cooperation.

The development came at a meeting of China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral vice foreign minister/foreign secretary meeting was held in Kunming, Yunnan province of China.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Bangladeshi Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique and Pakistani Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific) Imran Ahmed Siddiqui attended the meeting on 19 June, says a joint statement.

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch participated in the first phase of the meeting via video link.

China-Bangladesh-Pakistan trilateral cooperation focuses on promoting economic development and improving people’s livelihoods.

The three sides agreed to explore and implement cooperation projects in such areas as industry, trade, maritime affairs, water resources, climate change, agriculture, human resources, think tanks, health, education, culture, and youth.

The three sides will establish a working group to follow up and implement the understandings reached during the meeting. The three sides emphasised that China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism, not directed at any third party.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong stated that the Chinese government is committed to building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries. Bangladesh and Pakistan are both good neighbors, good friends, and good partners of China, and important partners in high quality Belt and Road cooperation.

As significant members of the Global South and key countries in the region, all three countries face the mission of national revitalisation and modernisation, and all require a peaceful and stable environmentSun Weidong added.

He said cooperation among China, Pakistan and Bangladesh aligns with the common interests of the three peoples, and can contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

The three sides exchanged views extensively on China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral cooperation. The three sides agreed to advance trilateral cooperation based on the principles of good-neighborliness, equality and mutual trust, openness and inclusiveness, common development, and win-win cooperation.

China-Bangladesh-Pakistan trilateral cooperation focuses on promoting economic development and improving people’s livelihoods. The three sides agreed to explore and implement cooperation projects in such areas as industry, trade, maritime affairs, water resources, climate change, agriculture, human resources, think tanks, health, education, culture, and youth.

The three sides will establish a working group to follow up and implement the understandings reached during the meeting. The three sides emphasized that China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism, not directed at any third party.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Ministry in its statement said Amna Baluch joined the meeting’s first session via video link and praised China for taking the initiative of the trilateral cooperation.

She highlighted the “upward trajectory of bilateral ties” and “conveyed Pakistan’s readiness to work with the two nations to enhance ties in trade and investment, agriculture, digital economy, environment protection, marine sciences, green infrastructure, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.

In Kunming, Sun Weidong also called on Haji Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Acting Deputy Prime Minister of the interim government of Afghan, and held bilateral meetings with Ruhul Alam Siddique and Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.​

 

[Saif]

Foreign adviser dismisses formation of “Dhaka-Beijing-Islamabad alliance”

Foreign adviser M Touhid Hossain on Thursday dismissed the notion of any emerging alliance among Bangladesh, China and Pakistan saying a recent meeting between the three countries was not of political nature rather an informal official level discussion.

en.prothomalo.com

Foreign adviser dismisses formation of “Dhaka-Beijing-Islamabad alliance”

BSS Dhaka
Published: 26 Jun 2025, 21: 56

Foreign adviser M Touhid Hossain spoke to reporters at the foreign ministry today, Thursday.Photo: MoFA

Foreign adviser M Touhid Hossain on Thursday dismissed the notion of any emerging alliance among Bangladesh, China and Pakistan saying a recent meeting between the three countries was not of political nature rather an informal official level discussion.

“We are not forming any alliance,” he told reporters at the foreign ministry as he was asked for comments about the trilateral meeting in China’s Kunming on 19 June.

Hossain added, “It was a meeting at the official level, not at the political level”, where there was “no element of formation of any alliance”.

“If India wants to have such a meeting among Bangladesh, India and Nepal, Dhaka will remain interested to ‘do’ the meeting next day,” the adviser said adding the Dhaka-New Delhi relation currently was going through a phase of “readjustment”.

Asked if the meeting was intended to sideline India, Hossain asserted, “It is certainly not targeting a third-party (which) I can assure you”.

The foreign ministry in an earlier statement said representatives from Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan held an “informal trilateral meeting” on the sidelines of the 9th China-South Asia Exposition and the 6th China-South Asia Cooperation Forum in Kunming.

Former acting foreign secretary Md Ruhul Alam Siddique represented Dhaka in the meeting with Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong, and Pakistani additional foreign secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.

China and Pakistan issued separate statements on the meeting while Beijing said the three countries held “extensive discussions on trilateral cooperation” and agreed to move forward based on “good-neighborliness, mutual trust, equality, openness, inclusiveness and shared development”.

Islamabad, on the other hand, described the gathering as the “inaugural meeting of the Bangladesh-China-Pakistan trilateral mechanism”.

Asked whether Dhaka rejected such characterisations, the adviser said “there is no need to deny anything” but emphasised that it was “not anything big and not something structured”.

Hossain said that the discussions mainly focused on connectivity and related areas, noting, “If there is any further progress, you will know that (but) there is not much scope to speculate”.

Hossain further said Dhaka did not have reservation in joining any such meeting like the Kunming one with other countries citing a hypothetical example involving India.

“If India wants to have such a meeting among Bangladesh, India and Nepal, Dhaka will remain interested to ‘do’ the meeting next day,” the adviser said adding the Dhaka-New Delhi relation currently was going through a phase of “readjustment”.

“The relationship with India is now at a stage of ‘readjustment’ and there is no lack of goodwill from Dhaka’s side to that end,” he said.

“Look, let us acknowledge the truth. The level of deep relationship between India and the previous government had and the kind of relationship India had established, the current relationship with us is not like that one,” he said as asked what he meant by readjustment.

During the Kunming meeting, the three sides discussed prospects for trilateral cooperation in key sectors such as infrastructure, connectivity, trade, investment, healthcare, agriculture, maritime affairs, ICT, disaster preparedness, and climate change.

According to Dhaka, the delegations agreed to pursue collaboration based on openness, inclusivity, good neighbourliness, and a win-win approach.​

 

[Saif]

https://www.anandabazar.com/world/pakistan-and-china-reportedly-trying-to-form-a-new-regional-bloc-in-south-asia-dgtl/cid/1615266

এক দশক ধরে অকেজো ‘সার্ক’, দক্ষিণ এশিয়ায় নয়া জোট তৈরি করতে চাইছে পাকিস্তান ও চিন! দলে টানার চেষ্টা বাংলাদেশকেও।

২০১৪ সালে শেষ বার ‘সার্ক’ সম্মেলন হয়েছিল। উরি হামলার প্রতিবাদে ২০১৬ সালে পাকিস্তানে আয়োজিত ‘সার্ক’ সম্মেলনে যোগ না-দেওয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় ভারত। পরে ওই বৈঠক ভেস্তে যায়। তার পর থেকে ‘সার্ক’ দৃশ্যত নিষ্ক্রিয়।

(বাঁ দিকে) শাহবাজ় শরিফ, (মাঝে) শি জিনপিং এবং মুহাম্মদ ইউনূস (ডান দিকে)। —ফাইল চিত্র।

আনন্দবাজার ডট কম ডেস্ক
শেষ আপডেট: ৩০ জুন ২০২৫ ১৩:৫১

দক্ষিণ এশিয়ায় একটি নতুন আন্তর্জাতিক জোট তৈরির চেষ্টা করছে পাকিস্তান এবং চিন! দক্ষিণ এশিয়ায় আঞ্চলিক সহযোগিতার বহুদেশীয় গোষ্ঠী ‘সার্ক’ বর্তমানে প্রায় অকেজো অবস্থায় রয়েছে। এই গোষ্ঠীর পরিবর্ত হিসাবে নতুন জোটটি তৈরি করতে চাইছে ইসলামাবাদ এবং বেজিং। পাকিস্তানি সংবাদমাধ্যমে প্রকাশিত তথ্যের ভিত্তিতে এমনটাই জানিয়েছে সংবাদ সংস্থা পিটিআই।

সম্প্রতি চিনের কুনমিঙে একটি ত্রিপাক্ষিক বৈঠক হয়েছে চিন, পাকিস্তান এবং বাংলাদেশের মধ্যে। বিভিন্ন কূটনৈতিক সূত্রে ওই প্রতিবেদনে দাবি করা হচ্ছে, কুনমিঙের বৈঠকও আসলে এই নতুন জোট তৈরির প্রক্রিয়ার অংশ। দক্ষিণ এশিয়ার যে দেশগুলি সার্কের সদস্য, তাদের এই নতুন জোটে আমন্ত্রণ জানানোর বিষয়েও চিনের বৈঠকে আলোচনা হয়েছে বলে দাবি ওই সূত্রের। যদিও এমন কোনও জোটের বিষয়ে আলোচনার কথা অস্বীকার করেছে বাংলাদেশের অন্তর্বর্তী সরকার। তাদের দাবি, বেজিংয়ে কোনও ‘রাজনৈতিক’ বৈঠক হয়নি। ঢাকা, বেজিং এবং ইসলামাবাদের মধ্যে নতুন জোট নিয়ে কোনও আলোচনা হয়নি বলেই দাবি বাংলাদেশ সরকারের। বাংলাদেশের অন্তর্বর্তী সরকারের বিদেশ উপদেষ্টা তৌহিদ হোসেনের বক্তব্য, “আমরা কোনও জোট তৈরি করছি না।”

বস্তুত, দক্ষিণ এশিয়ার বহুদেশীয় গোষ্ঠী ‘সার্ক’ এখন প্রায় নিষ্ক্রিয় হয়ে রয়েছে। দীর্ঘ দিন ধরে ‘সার্ক’-এর কোনও সম্মেলন হয়নি। এই বহুদেশীয় গোষ্ঠীতে মোট আটটি দেশ রয়েছে— ভারত, বাংলাদেশ, পাকিস্তান, আফগানিস্তান, নেপাল, ভুটান, শ্রীলঙ্কা এবং মলদ্বীপ। ২০১৪ সালে এই গোষ্ঠীর শেষ সম্মেলন হয়েছিল। উরি জঙ্গি হানার প্রতিবাদে ২০১৬ সালে পাকিস্তানে আয়োজিত ‘সার্ক’ সম্মেলনে যোগ না দেওয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় ভারত। এর পরে বাংলাদেশ, ভুটান এবং আফগানিস্তানও সম্মেলনে যোগ না দেওয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়। ফলে ওই সম্মেলন ভেস্তে যায়। তার পর থেকে আর কোনও ‘সার্ক’ সম্মেলন হয়নি। বর্তমানে ‘সার্ক’ গোষ্ঠী দৃশ্যত নিষ্ক্রিয় অবস্থাতেই রয়েছে।

পাক সংবাদমাধ্যমের তথ্যের ভিত্তিতে পিটিআই জানিয়েছে, নতুন ওই সম্ভাব্য আন্তর্জাতিক মঞ্চে ভারতকেও আমন্ত্রণ জানানোর কথা ভাবা হচ্ছে বলে সূত্রের দাবি। নতুন গোষ্ঠীতে আমন্ত্রণ জানানো হতে পারে শ্রীলঙ্কা, আফগানিস্তান এবং মলদ্বীপকেও। দাবি করা হচ্ছে, আঞ্চলিক যোগাযোগ এবং বাণিজ্যে আরও গতি আনতেই এই নতুন গোষ্ঠীটি তৈরির উদ্যোগ নেওয়া হয়েছে। যদিও কূটনৈতিক মহলের একাংশের অনুমান, পাকিস্তানের তত্ত্বাবধানে যদি এই আন্তর্জাতিক গোষ্ঠী তৈরি হয় এবং সেখানে ভারতকে আমন্ত্রণ জানানো হয়, সে ক্ষেত্রে ভারতের যোগ না-দেওয়ার সম্ভাবনাই প্রবল।​

 

[Saif]

Beijing pressures Dhaka to become active in China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral forum

In June, China arranged a “non-official discussion” involving Bangladesh and Pakistan in Kunming. Although Dhaka has clearly stated that this was not the formation of any alliance but merely an official-level discussion, Beijing’s efforts have not ceased. China continues its diplomatic pressure...

en.prothomalo.com

Beijing pressures Dhaka to become active in China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral forum
Yao Wen stated that China is interested in holding the first meeting of the trilateral initiative’s Joint Working Group in September in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. China hopes Bangladesh will participate in that meeting. However, Bangladesh is currently not interested in participating in any meetings of the trilateral initiative.

Raheed Ejaz Dhaka
Published: 29 Jul 2025, 09: 16

The foreign secretaries of Bangladesh, China and Pakistan had a non-official meeting in Kunming, China on 19 June 2025 UNB

In June, China arranged a “non-official discussion” involving Bangladesh and Pakistan in Kunming. Although Dhaka has clearly stated that this was not the formation of any alliance but merely an official-level discussion, Beijing’s efforts have not ceased. China continues its diplomatic pressure and engagement to activate Bangladesh in the trilateral initiative.

On 19 June, the foreign secretaries of China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh held a meeting in Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province. Over the past month, this trilateral initiative has become a topic of discussion among political and diplomatic circles.

On 21 July, Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy call on Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain in Dhaka. During the meeting, the Chinese ambassador once again brought up the trilateral initiative.

Yao Wen stated that China is interested in holding the first meeting of the trilateral initiative’s Joint Working Group in September in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. China hopes Bangladesh will participate in that meeting. However, Bangladesh is currently not interested in participating in any meetings of the trilateral initiative.

Earlier, on 11 July, during a break in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian capital, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. Alongside bilateral and international topics, Wang Yi also mentioned the Kunming meeting. He stated that this is an open group and others may also join. Bangladesh should play an active role in this initiative, he said.

Whatever China’s goals and intentions behind this effort, Dhaka does not want to take any steps that may cause suspicion among different countries in the regional and international arena.

Diplomatic sources in Kuala Lumpur informed this reporter that although the Chinese Foreign Minister raised the issue of the Kunming initiative, Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser did not express any opinion. He listened attentively and smiled.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain confirmed to this reporter that the issue of the trilateral initiative came up during his meetings with the Chinese foreign minister and ambassador. He said that Bangladesh will not join such a trilateral initiative at this time.

Diplomatic sources told this correspondent that since the 19 June meeting in Kunming, China has raised the issue of advancing the trilateral initiative with Bangladesh at least five times.

The current global system is evolving, and bilateral and regional issues are no longer confined to specific boundaries. As such, there is a possibility of a global dimension being added to China’s trilateral initiative.

M Humayun Kabir, Former Bangladesh ambassador to the US and current President of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.

Whatever China’s goals and intentions behind this effort, Dhaka does not want to take any steps that may cause suspicion among different countries in the regional and international arena.

Moreover, Bangladesh’s relations with Pakistan—stagnant for a decade and a half—have only recently begun to normalise. Some serious historical political issues between the two countries remain unresolved. Therefore, diplomats believe that the decision to participate in such a trilateral initiative should be left to an elected political government.

Another factor behind the reluctance to join the initiative at this time, as diplomats see it, is that although China claims the trilateral initiative aims at regional cooperation, it has not included Nepal and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh had asked China about this. However, China has not clarified whether it invited these two South Asian countries to join the initiative.

A high-level delegation from the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, visited Beijing from 22 to 27 June.

At the invitation of the Communist Party of China, Fakhrul’s first meeting during the trip was with China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. It is rare for a senior Bangladeshi political leader to publicly meet with China’s vice foreign minister. Diplomatic sources say the trilateral forum was discussed in this meeting as well.

Subsequently, from 11 to 15 July, a delegation of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, led by party chief Shafiqur Rahman, also visited Beijing. Diplomatic sources assume that China brought up the trilateral initiative with Jamaat just as it did with the BNP.

Multiple sources within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told this reporter that at the beginning of this month, Chinese ambassador Yao Wen met with a senior official of the government. During the meeting, the ambassador raised the issue of implementing the trilateral initiative.

At that time, the Chinese ambassador was informed that the three countries must first discuss and finalise the areas of cooperation. In addition, each country should separately express its views on the objectives, purpose, and framework of this cooperation. Only then can the future roadmap of the initiative be decided.

Former Bangladesh ambassador to the United States and current President of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), M Humayun Kabir, believes that in the current global geopolitical context, China is taking various initiatives with a somewhat aggressive approach.

He said that the current global system is evolving, and bilateral and regional issues are no longer confined to specific boundaries. As such, there is a possibility of a global dimension being added to China’s trilateral initiative.

Therefore, any active participation in such an initiative should be approached with caution, Humayun Kabir added.​

 

[Saif]

China looks forward to making joint efforts with Bangladesh, Pakistan: Envoy

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Tuesday in Dhaka said that China-initiated trilateral cooperation with Pakistan and Bangladesh was focused on economic development and improvement of the peoples of these countries and it was not directed against any third country.

www.newagebd.net

TRILATERAL COOPERATION
China looks forward to making joint efforts with Bangladesh, Pakistan: Envoy
Staff Correspondent 29 July, 2025, 22:23

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen speaks at a programme organised by Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh at National Press Club in Dhaka on Tuesday. | New Age photo

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Tuesday in Dhaka said that China-initiated trilateral cooperation with Pakistan and Bangladesh was focused on economic development and improvement of the peoples of these countries and it was not directed against any third country.

‘China looks forward to making joint efforts with Bangladesh and Pakistan to solidly advance the trilateral cooperation and achieve tangible results,’ the envoy said at a talk organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh at the National Press Club.

He said that any country in the South Asia could join the cooperation initiative for cooperation in 12 areas also including education and environment.

‘The purpose of trilateral cooperation initiative from China is to discuss cooperation among these countries in South Asia with focus on economic development and livelihoods of the peoples…The cooperation is not directed against a third country,’ the envoy said.

Responding to a question, he said that Beijing briefed all diplomats from South Asia on the initiative following a China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral foreign office meeting held on June 19.

The diplomat said that the three sides agreed to advance trilateral cooperation based on the principles of good-neighbourliness, equality, friendship, inclusiveness, multilateralism and common development.

The China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral foreign office meeting was held in Kunming in the Yunnan province of China in a new initiative for regional cooperation for ‘peace, stability, development and prosperity’.

Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong, then Bangladeshi acting foreign secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique and Pakistani additional secretary (Asia Pacific) Imran Ahmed Siddiqui attended the trilateral meeting while Pakistani foreign secretary Amna Baloch participated in the first phase of the meeting via video link.

‘China supports the interim government of Bangladesh in its governance and backs the efforts of Bangladesh to hold the general election smoothly and successfully and to pursue a development path that suits its national conditions,’ Yao Wen, however, said in his written speech at the DCAB Talk.

Responding to another question, he said China’s relations with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami were hindered in the last 10 years during the previous regime.

Without giving further details, he said the high-level delegates from BNP and Jamaat recently recently visited China as efforts were now underway to improve their relations with major parties.

Touching upon the United States reciprocal tariff, he said that since the Trump administration took office, the U.S. has rolled out a series of unilateral tariffs, including so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’—a textbook case of trade bullying.

‘These measures blatantly violate WTO rules, disrupt global industrial and supply chains, and hinder world economic recovery. They are irresponsible, unpopular, and unsustainable. Worse still, the U.S. is now weaponizing tariffs to strong-arm others into so-called reciprocal tariff negotiations. This is nothing but hegemonic politics and unilateral bullying disguised as reciprocity,’ the envoy mentioned.

Mentioning that the US imposes a 35 percent tariff on Bangladesh, one of the least developed countries, he said that it is neither reasonable nor ethical.

‘We respect Bangladesh’s right to resolve trade disputes with the U.S. through equal dialogue and support it in defending its legitimate interests,’ he said.

DCAB president AKM Moinuddin and general secretary Md Arifuzzaman Mamun also spoke at the event.​

 

[Saif]

China Pakistan Bangladesh Nexus 'Major New Threat To India'