COLDNESS IN BEIJING, HOT MESS IN DHAKA

Bangladesh is trying to balance its ties with India and China. Its PM's truncated Beijing trip may have resulted from strategic differences abroad as much as troubles at home

- PINAK RANJAN CHAKRAVARTY

BANGLADESH PM Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to China has been described as a classic act of balancing ties with India and other major powers. Hasina visited Delhi twice in June this year. The visit to Beijing soon after signals Bangladesh's resolve to pursue its interests with both China and India. But Hasina's Beijing trip was abruptly cut short, allegedly due to the ill health of her daughter; it is unclear if this was also because of some disagreement with China or the fierce job quota agitation back home.

China and India are Bangladesh's biggest economic partners. By wooing Bangladesh, China seeks to expand its influence in the subcontinent to counter India's influence. China's maximum investment has been in Pakistan, where the two nations have found policy congruence to constrain India's options while building infrastructure and investing in a strategic port like Gwadar. This port on the Makran coast, not far from Chabahar in Iran, is gradually being expanded to include an industrial zone and a naval base for China.

Hasina's Beijing visit focused on bolstering bilateral economic ties. She met President Xi Jinping briefly, but her main interlocutor was PM Li Qiang. The two witnessed the signing of 28 agreements, mainly on trade and investment. It was decided to expedite the 'Joint Feasibility Study on China-Bangladesh Free Trade Agreement' and commence negotiation on the 'Optimisation of China-Bangladesh Bilateral Investment Treaty'.

The chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Wang Huning, and Hasina released a joint statement claiming "extensive consensus" on regional and international issues. The two sides agreed to abide by the Panchsheel principles, which has made a return in Chinese diplo-speak after decades, signalling some nuancing in China's diplomacy in the region.