If China wants to make a base, it will make it in Myanmar, but initially it may develop Myanmar as a sea access for energy and commercial trade, so it can bypass Malacca straits. I do not think China wants to make a base in Bangladesh, at least not yet. May be when it becomes the number one and unseats the US as the preeminent global power, they will make this move then. In the meantime, we should give it to the US, to balance off against India. Let me repeat the list with added items suggested by PlanetSoldier:
- US/West support to let Bangladesh become a member of ASEAN
- help establish land (road/rail) link between Myanmar and Bangladesh so Bangladesh can connect seamlessly with greater Mekong sub-region of ASEAN
- provide duty free access to US market for Bangladesh products
- nuclear umbrella against any Indian threat and support for civil nuclear projects in Bangladesh to develop nuclear technology
For a comprehensive China containment as well as India containment policy, please look at:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/180755-geopolitics-asean-region.html
ASEAN+ = Japan+Korea(S&N)+ASEAN-10+Sri Lanka+PNG+East-Timor+Maldives+Bangladesh
This bloc has more than a billion people. ASEAN-10 land area is about 2.7 million sq. miles, more than twice the size of India and about 2/3 the size of China. We should make it into a EU like structure (minus the foolish common currency scheme), an economic and strategic security bloc like NATO for South East and East Asia, under US/West sponsorship and help, is what I am proposing.
Initially I am hoping that US will support this ASEAN+ idea to contain China, when the containment policy fails, as China I think will defeat USA in 20-30 years time, I am hoping that ASEAN+ can integrate enough and become a future global power on its own right and gently ask the USA to leave and go into an alliance with China, since a local number one power is always better than a far-off number two. Essentially what I am proposing is using the US/West and then dumping them when we don't need the USA/West any more. At present the USA/West has a combined nominal GDP of around 34 trillion while the Chinese GDP (PRC+Taiwan) is around 8 trillion. So Chinese GDP will have to exceed USA/West combined GDP, before a shift will take place on the global scene, which may take 20-50 years.
China also has Russia as an ally and I am hoping it will also help Russia with this strategy of southern expansion discussed here:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/180767-geopolitics-eurasia-region.html#post2968037
An integrated greater GCC or GCC+ will take shape under US/West hopefully:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/180771-geopolitics-gcc-region.html
This will also shift alliances once US no longer remains the predominant global power and may decide to join the Eurasia+ union, together with Turkey.
Influence on African Union will be shared by US/EU and the China/Eurasia+/ASEAN+ alliance. There is a Muslim dimension in these unions as well, ASEAN+, Eurasia+ and African Union, all three may become majority Muslim or close to it, by 2050, which may create an alliance dynamics of its own between these three.
I am confident that from 2030 on, this will be a Chinese century, so we should get prepared for that time and be ready to protect our own in a China led world. I don't think it is possible to contain China, but it is possible to guard against its aggression by remaining in alliance with it and also making sure that we have our own regional unions, which can fight the Chinese by shifting alliances if needed.
Regionalism I believe is the best vehicle to bring in stability and justice for the myriad smaller countries of the world that are exploited and abused by larger more powerful countries.