China-Bangladesh Defence Ties: A cheap alternative for weapons
Over the past decades, neighboring countries China and Bangladesh have steadily developed ties in various domains. Their relationship has evolved over time, especially in matters of defense and security. But this was not always the case. The relations between China and Bangladesh had a rough start in the beginning.
During the war of independence of East Pakistan from West Pakistan for the formation of the state of Bangladesh, China was an unfaltering supporter of Pakistan and was hostile towards the newly formed country for some years after its independence. In fact, China did not recognize it as a new state up until 1974. During this time, Bangladesh was a close companion of India, which had greatly assisted in its freedom struggle, as well as the Soviet Union. However, soon after the death of its Prime Minister Sheik Mujib in 1975, Bangladesh distanced itself from India and the Soviet Union. From here on, diplomatic relations were established between China and Bangladesh in 1976. This association soon gained momentum and has since been growing closer and more robust.
A lot of the foreign and political policies of the two states aligned considerably during the 1980s. China is one of the staunchest allies of Bangladesh and has developed strong relations not just on the political and economic fronts but also in the defense arena. Apart from having intense trade relations, the two countries frequently host military delegations, training operations, and the exchange of weapons. Bangladesh relied on Chinese military equipment, especially during the early years of its independence, because most of the soldiers who were trained initially as Pakistani men were only familiar with Chinese weaponry. There were also frequent visits by the highest-ranking military officials on both ends. In 1987, China’s People’s Liberation Army’s chief of general staff, Yang Dezhi, visited Bangladesh, where he met with the then Prime Minister, Ershad. Soon after, the Bangladeshi Navy chief of staff made a six-day visit to Beijing.
The defense ties between China and Bangladesh, which were primarily informal before, took a profound turn after the 1990s. Bangladesh was one of the top three recipients of Chinese arms exports. In 2002, the countries signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement, a landmark defense pact between the two nations. It was the very first broad-based defense cooperation that Bangladesh had with any country. The agreement enhanced military training increased military cooperation and production. During this agreement, China claimed that “the friendship between China and Bangladesh is based on a high level of mutual trust between its leaders and its people."
China continues to remain Bangladesh’s biggest supplier of arms and ammunition till now. It is the second-largest export of arms in the world for China, right after Pakistan. Bangladesh’s imports of arms from China constituted a massive 74% from 2010-2019. Military equipment supplied by China ranges from air crafts, tankers, fighter jets, submarines, anti-ship missiles to many other small arms. In 2016, Bangladesh acquired two submarines from China and joined the list of countries holding undersea military equipment. It became the second country in the Bay of Bengal to do so. China even offered to provide military personnel for the training of the crew at its own base in Hainan Island. It also supplied Bangladesh with two Type 056 corvettes, built by the China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company. The Chinese government has also mediated between the Bangladeshi government and the Myanmar army to settle the Rohingya dispute. More recently, Chinese defense minister Wei Fenghe visited Bangladesh where he asserted that the militaries from both the countries “increase high-level visits, deepen cooperation in equipment technology, broaden exchanges in specialized fields and forge closer military relations," according to Xinhua, China's official news source. China also warned Bangladesh of growing friendlier with the Quad, which it strongly opposes.
The benefits that both the countries gain from maintaining strong defense ties are widely different from each other. For Bangladesh, leaning towards China comes from its wish to lower the influence and dominance of India. From the time of its formation, India has been Bangladesh's biggest trading partner. India being another country that is dominant in the region, it has at times exerted its power on the smaller neighboring countries. Due to this, Bangladesh is aiming to reduce its dependence on India, and at the same time, with siding with a hugely influential country like China, setting its foot globally. Friendly relations with China will expose Bangladesh in the global arena and also provide a promise of safety and extensive monetary assistance.
On the other hand, China benefits from its alliance with Bangladesh on multiple fronts. The foremost reason is to establish a regional dominance among the South Asian nations. Bangladesh shares important boundaries with India, China’s biggest competitor in its mission. Investing in countries in the South Asian region will allow it to forge alliances necessary to challenge India. Another crucial aspect of this is China's aim of expansion in the Bay of Bengal, which is of extreme strategic importance to the country. A tactical relationship with Bangladesh will provide China access to the Bay of Bengal and, in turn, the Indian Ocean, which will allow it to keep a check on the Indian Naval forces. It will also provide access to Bangladeshi ports, which contain indispensable sea routes essential for trade with other continents.
In conclusion, the China-Bangladesh military and defense relations are here to stay, with significant increase cooperation in the future. This is evident from China's attempt of expanding everywhere regionally as well as internationally and exerting its hegemony to fulfill its goal of becoming the next global power of the world. In order to balance out and keep itself from falling in too deep in China's debts, Bangladesh needs to be alert and remain careful in its operations with China.
References
1. China, Bangladesh should oppose powers from outside the region forming “military alliance” in South Asia: (2021, April 29). The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/china-bangladesh-should-oppose-powers-from-outside-the-region-forming-military-alliance-in-south-asia-chinese-defence-minister/articleshow/82289339.cms?from=mdr
2. China, Bangladesh sign landmark defence pact. (2002, December 25). The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/china-bangladesh-sign-landmark-defence-pact/articleshow/32366373.cms
3. Finnigan, C. (2019, June 17). Bangladesh-China relations have metamorphosed into a strategic partnership. LSE. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/southasia/2019/06/20/bangladesh-china-relations-have-metamorphosed-into-a-strategic-partnership/
4. Jha, S. (2021, November 9). The Bay of Bengal Naval Arms Race. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2016/12/the-bay-of-bengal-naval-arms-race/
5. Pike, J. (n.d.). Bangladesh - China Relations. Global Security. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/bangladesh/forrel-prc.htm
6. Samsani, S. (2021, May 11). China–Bangladesh strategic linkages. Observer Research Foundation. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/china-bangladesh-strategic-linkages/#:%7E:text=Defence%20cooperation%20is%20one%20of,defence%20cooperation%20agreement%20with%20Bangladesh.
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(The views expressed are those of the authro only and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
