China makes strategic forays into Bangladesh

[Al-zakir]

15 Jun, 2010

In another sign of its growing strategic inroads into South Asia, China has proposed to help Bangladesh build a deep-sea port in Chittagong and agreed to exchange data about the Brahmaputra river that flows from Tibet to Bangladesh through India.

China has also promised assistance in installing Bangladesh's first space satellite.

All these issues came up Monday during talks between visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinpeng and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina which covered cooperation on political, economic and cultural fronts, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Bangladesh officials said Xi's was a "return visit" to the one paid by Hasina in March this year and would see updating on the pacts signed then.

Hasina had travelled to China, seeking closer cooperation in a number of areas, including building a road link from Chittagong to Kunming in eastern China.

According to strategic analysts, the port development in Chittagong is part of China's "String of Pearls" strategy that it wants to use to secure sea lanes that cross the Indian Ocean and link its industrialized eastern seaboard with the energy resources of the Middle East.

China has been developing ports in Gwadar, Pakistan, and at Hambantota in Sri Lanka. It has expanded its influence in Myanmar in recent years.

This is the first visit by a Chinese state leader since the Awami League-led government assumed power in January last year. Xi is leading a 35-member delegation and will sign an agreement regarding economic cooperation, under which China will provide 40 million yuan ($5.8 million) as grant.

Over the past few years, China has emerged as the largest supplier of military hardware to Bangladesh.

China has also replaced India as Bangladesh's biggest import destination with trade between the two nations standing at $4.58 billion, though heavily skewed in favour of Beijing with Bangladesh import being $ 4.4 billion.

China offered last month duty-free access to some 5,000 Bangladeshi products in a "goodwill gesture".

Bilateral trade between Bangladesh and China is expected to increase to $5 billion in 2010 from $4.58 billion in 2009.

Interestingly, China had opposed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971 and recognized it only in 1975.

China and Bangladesh to Sign Economic Pact, China and Bangladesh Will Sign Economic Cooperation Pact, Economic Cooperation Pact Between China and Bangladesh

 

[Old School]

Chinese are very smart people. I like them.

 

[ramu]

Chinese are very smart people. I like them.

They are smart people and no second thoughts on that. The number of people who have come out of poverty in China is a great achievement. China is the only country to have made such a huge transformation. In terms of Bangladesh, Chinese would like to have a footing in the oceans that are strongly in Indian lap at this stage.

 

[TopCat]

They are smart people and no second thoughts on that. The number of people who have come out of poverty in China is a great achievement. China is the only country to have made such a huge transformation. In terms of Bangladesh, Chinese would like to have a footing in the oceans that are strongly in Indian lap at this stage.

It was Bangladesh which shown interest in Chinese involvement in deep sea port. It is in our own interest to keep Chinese involved while allowing India to use our transit.

 

[ramu]

It was Bangladesh which shown interest in Chinese involvement in deep sea port. It is in our own interest to keep Chinese involved while allowing India to use our transit.

It is a good idea to keep India and China at a competitive distance and Bangladesh make the most of it. That does not imply India is anywhere close to China on any parameter.

Competition to get a handle on Bangladesh market and influence in the country is the best way your country can get a bargain for every buck.

 

[Parashuram1]

China seems to be leaving no stones unturned. Since it supplies a large scale of consumer products to the West, I wish them and Bangladesh nationals a good luck.

The more economic relations are there between all the countries globally, the lesser is any need of a conflict.

 

[Al-zakir]

Bangladesh's political rivals woo China
Wed, Jun 16 01:02 PM
Dhaka, June 16 (IANS) Setting aside their political rivalry, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia have urged the visiting Chinese vice president to forge stronger economic ties and military cooperation with Dhaka.

Meeting Xi Jinping separately Tuesday, they covered similar issues, seeking a bridging of trade gap that is several times in favour of China and Beijing's entry in strategic areas like space and port building.

Xi responded positively. He expressed his government's gratitude to the Hasina government for supporting the 'One China Policy' that views Taiwan as part of the mainland, the New Age newspaper said Wednesday.

Xi recalled the March visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to China and said bilateral relations had entered 'a new chapter'.

To Zia, under whose prime ministership (2001-06) the two countries signed a military cooperation agreement, Xi said: 'You are our old and trusted friend.'

Military ties were nurtured when Zia's late husband, General Ziaur Rahman, was the country's president. China is the largest supplier of military hardware to Bangladesh.

Zia visited China as prime minister. Xi invited her to visit again.

During his meeting with President Zillur Rahman, Xi promised Chinese support for infrastructure, agriculture, trade, education, health, science and technology, and human resources.

Bangladesh's political rivals woo China - Yahoo! India News

 

[Al-zakir]

China's biggest strength in BD is that no one dislike China. Recent Awamis China friendly foregn policy maneuver whether by hook or crook is good thing and its's good for Bangladesh.

 

[eastwatch]

It is a good idea to keep India and China at a competitive distance and Bangladesh make the most of it. That does not imply India is anywhere close to China on any parameter.

Competition to get a handle on Bangladesh market and influence in the country is the best way your country can get a bargain for every buck.

There are certainly some strategic moves behind the Chinese thinking of helping to build a deep sea-port near Cox's Bazaar. But, it is not all. The port helps BD, but if the port is not allowed to handle Chinese as well as Indian NE, Nepalese and Bhutanese goods, this port will become a white elephant, a losing concern. Yes, an elephant with a price tag of $10 billion.

China's Yunnan Province is only 250 km away from Chittagong, whereas it is probably 3000 km away from any of China's Pacific ports. So, China gains enormously. Similarly, if the port serves Indian NE, BD State coffer will get a lot of money from India. Nepal and Bhutan are very small market comparing to Indian NE. Even then it will help BD coffer.

The port will serve the surrounding countries in another way. Today, goods from the big ocean-going ships are transferred to smaller ships in Singapore. These ships then go to Chittagong and some Indian ports including Kolkata. So, when BD has its own deep seaport, the big ships will anchor there, and the goods can be transferred to smaller ships to carry to some Indian and Burmese ports. BD will earn a handling charge in this way.

I think, without getting all these jobs to do, it will be useless to build such an expensive port.

 

[you are fired]

well its good for BD if it use china for its growth and development