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Published on 12:00 AM, May 25, 2023
Porimol Palma
Bangladesh is considering to join China's Global Development Initiative that aims to support developing countries in public health and alleviating poverty.
However, Bangladesh remains reluctant on China's Global Security Initiative (GSI).
"We are always in favour of initiatives that help our socio-economic development as we aspire to become a developed country by 2041.
However, we are not interested on anything that puts us into a military bloc," an official told this correspondent yesterday.
The issues may be discussed during Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong's two-day visit to Bangladesh beginning tomorrow.
He will lead the Chinese delegation at the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC), which is going to be held after a gap of three years. The event was supposed to be held every year.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen will lead the Bangladesh side on Saturday.
According to sources, China offered Bangladesh to join the Global Development Initiative in the wake of the pandemic in 2021, and later the Global Security Initiative last year.
The GDI presented by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly in September 2021 aims to support the timely achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
"There are various aspects of the GDI, including concessional loans for health, education, poverty alleviation and development of infrastructure as many countries are still lagging behind the SDGs, mostly because of the coronavirus pandemic," said a foreign ministry official.
A draft memorandum of understanding forwarded by the Chinese government was reviewed by the foreign ministry and then sent to the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the finance ministry.
The ERD is looking into the technical aspects of it before the final decision.
More than 100 countries have expressed support for the GDI and over 50 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI.
RELUCTANCE OVER GSI
Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the GSI in April last year, demonstrating China's commitment as a major country to uphold world peace and stability and arguing that competition among great powers is deeply affecting the whole world and China needs to play its role.
The GSI came amid Russia-Ukraine war and global competition among powers over the Indo-Pacific region. The major powers like the US, Canada, Japan, France, European Union, ASEAN and even Bangladesh have launched their visions and strategies on the Indo-Pacific.
The US, Japan, India and Australia have a group called QUAD for security dialogue, while Australia, the UK and US signed in 2021 a security pact called AUKUS under which the US and the UK will assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.
The US wants Bangladesh, which is located at the centre of Indo-Pacific, to be on its side in its Indo-Pacific Strategy. Bangladesh is also reluctant on the IPS, saying that it has defence elements.
Foreign ministry officials said Bangladesh is not interested in joining any regional or global alliances with defence elements, though it has bilateral security agreements with a number of countries.
China is Bangladesh's biggest source of defence equipment.
"We will surely need to buy defence equipment for securing our territories, including the maritime boundary, but we are not for joining any military alliance," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen earlier said.
A foreign ministry official said at the FOC, Dhaka and Beijing will also discuss the latest initiative of Rohingya repatriation and assess the development projects being implemented with Chinese funds.
www.thedailystar.net
Bangladesh keen on China’s dev initiative, not military bloc
Says foreign ministry official ahead of Chinese vice minister’s 2-day visit
Porimol Palma
Bangladesh is considering to join China's Global Development Initiative that aims to support developing countries in public health and alleviating poverty.
However, Bangladesh remains reluctant on China's Global Security Initiative (GSI).
"We are always in favour of initiatives that help our socio-economic development as we aspire to become a developed country by 2041.
However, we are not interested on anything that puts us into a military bloc," an official told this correspondent yesterday.
The issues may be discussed during Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong's two-day visit to Bangladesh beginning tomorrow.
He will lead the Chinese delegation at the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC), which is going to be held after a gap of three years. The event was supposed to be held every year.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen will lead the Bangladesh side on Saturday.
According to sources, China offered Bangladesh to join the Global Development Initiative in the wake of the pandemic in 2021, and later the Global Security Initiative last year.
The GDI presented by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly in September 2021 aims to support the timely achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
"There are various aspects of the GDI, including concessional loans for health, education, poverty alleviation and development of infrastructure as many countries are still lagging behind the SDGs, mostly because of the coronavirus pandemic," said a foreign ministry official.
A draft memorandum of understanding forwarded by the Chinese government was reviewed by the foreign ministry and then sent to the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the finance ministry.
The ERD is looking into the technical aspects of it before the final decision.
More than 100 countries have expressed support for the GDI and over 50 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI.
RELUCTANCE OVER GSI
Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the GSI in April last year, demonstrating China's commitment as a major country to uphold world peace and stability and arguing that competition among great powers is deeply affecting the whole world and China needs to play its role.
The GSI came amid Russia-Ukraine war and global competition among powers over the Indo-Pacific region. The major powers like the US, Canada, Japan, France, European Union, ASEAN and even Bangladesh have launched their visions and strategies on the Indo-Pacific.
The US, Japan, India and Australia have a group called QUAD for security dialogue, while Australia, the UK and US signed in 2021 a security pact called AUKUS under which the US and the UK will assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.
The US wants Bangladesh, which is located at the centre of Indo-Pacific, to be on its side in its Indo-Pacific Strategy. Bangladesh is also reluctant on the IPS, saying that it has defence elements.
Foreign ministry officials said Bangladesh is not interested in joining any regional or global alliances with defence elements, though it has bilateral security agreements with a number of countries.
China is Bangladesh's biggest source of defence equipment.
"We will surely need to buy defence equipment for securing our territories, including the maritime boundary, but we are not for joining any military alliance," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen earlier said.
A foreign ministry official said at the FOC, Dhaka and Beijing will also discuss the latest initiative of Rohingya repatriation and assess the development projects being implemented with Chinese funds.
Bangladesh keen on China’s dev initiative, not military bloc
Bangladesh is considering to join China’s Global Development Initiative that aims to support developing countries in public health and alleviating poverty.
