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The prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, said her government has made a decision to purchase two corvettes and two submarines from China during a visit to the naval academy at Chittagong on Dec. 21, according to the local Dhaka Tribune.
The two Type 056 frigates are currently under construction in China, the prime minister said, and both are likely to enter service next year.
Last year, the Bangladesh Navy also announced that it would buy two Ming-class submarines from China. Hasina said the two subs will be commissioned in 2016. She also said the navy will play an important role defending the country’s natural resources such as oil and gase in the Bay of Bengal.
For India, the sale of Chinese warships to Bangladesh raises concerns of China projecting its maritime power into the Indian Ocean. Previous unconfirmed reports had suggested that Bangladesh had given up the idea of purchasing Chinese submarines due to pressure from New Delhi. Hasina’s speech at the naval academy shows that the original plan remains unchanged.
“Why would Bangladesh need submarines? This decision by the government there and the ongoing strife in the country is a matter of concern for us,” a senior Indian naval officer told the Times of India. “We also suspect that Chinese submarines are sneaking into Indian territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal region, though none have been detected as yet.” For India it symbolizes a closer military-to-military relationship between another of its neighboring states and China. Pakistan is one of China’s closest allies and there are suggestions Beijing is eyeing Sri Lanka as a potential partner for naval bases. PLA Navy submarines stopped at Colombo at least twice this year.
“China has been making steady inroads into India’s neighbourhood and weaning away the neighbouring nations by providing financial assistance and military hardware,” Ashwani Gupta wrote in an article for India’s Center for Land Warfare Studies.
Bangladesh ignores India’s Concerns will buy Chinese corvettes and submarines | idrw.org
The two Type 056 frigates are currently under construction in China, the prime minister said, and both are likely to enter service next year.
Last year, the Bangladesh Navy also announced that it would buy two Ming-class submarines from China. Hasina said the two subs will be commissioned in 2016. She also said the navy will play an important role defending the country’s natural resources such as oil and gase in the Bay of Bengal.
For India, the sale of Chinese warships to Bangladesh raises concerns of China projecting its maritime power into the Indian Ocean. Previous unconfirmed reports had suggested that Bangladesh had given up the idea of purchasing Chinese submarines due to pressure from New Delhi. Hasina’s speech at the naval academy shows that the original plan remains unchanged.
“Why would Bangladesh need submarines? This decision by the government there and the ongoing strife in the country is a matter of concern for us,” a senior Indian naval officer told the Times of India. “We also suspect that Chinese submarines are sneaking into Indian territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal region, though none have been detected as yet.” For India it symbolizes a closer military-to-military relationship between another of its neighboring states and China. Pakistan is one of China’s closest allies and there are suggestions Beijing is eyeing Sri Lanka as a potential partner for naval bases. PLA Navy submarines stopped at Colombo at least twice this year.
“China has been making steady inroads into India’s neighbourhood and weaning away the neighbouring nations by providing financial assistance and military hardware,” Ashwani Gupta wrote in an article for India’s Center for Land Warfare Studies.
Bangladesh ignores India’s Concerns will buy Chinese corvettes and submarines | idrw.org
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