Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen stated that the China-Bangladesh-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, first proposed by Beijing around 15 years ago, had seen limited progress due to various constraints. He added that the initiative remains open to participation from any country willing to join, emphasizing that inclusion depends on the decision of the concerned states. He further noted that China is now determined to advance a corridor framework involving Bangladesh and Myanmar.
On the Teesta river project, the ambassador clarified that earlier understandings involved cooperation between a Chinese company and a Bangladeshi government entity, while current discussions are centered on intergovernmental collaboration. He stated that Chinese technical teams and scientific experts would conduct surveys as part of project preparation, underscoring that such studies are essential for any forward movement.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded by reiterating that New Delhi’s development cooperation in Bangladesh is guided by mutually agreed frameworks that are periodically reviewed. It added that India’s position on the Teesta river project has been communicated to Dhaka and that emerging developments will be taken into account within its broader approach to the issue.
Parallel to these developments, China and Bangladesh have elevated their bilateral relationship by announcing the establishment of a “China-Bangladesh community with a shared future in the new era.” The announcement followed high-level discussions between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, during which both sides agreed to deepen cooperation across strategic sectors. China reaffirmed its commitment to remain a consistent partner, describing itself as a reliable friend, neighbour, and development ally to Bangladesh.
The evolving partnership extends across multiple domains, including defence acquisitions such as fighter aircraft, infrastructure development, and regional connectivity planning. Analysts note that the deepening cooperation now spans areas with direct geopolitical implications for India, particularly river basin management and multi-country economic corridors.
The China-Myanmar-Bangladesh Economic Corridor has emerged as a key component of Beijing’s regional connectivity strategy, offering China a potential direct route to the Bay of Bengal. This development is seen as a reconfiguration of the earlier Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor proposal, which envisioned connectivity from Kunming to Kolkata through Mandalay and Dhaka.
Discussions on advancing the corridor for broader regional connectivity were also reported during high-level engagements between Xi Jinping and Tarique Rahman, according to China’s foreign ministry, further reinforcing Beijing’s intent to expand its strategic footprint in the region.
Myanmar remains a critical theatre in this evolving connectivity architecture. India and China both maintain separate strategic and economic interests in the country, particularly around key coastal infrastructure projects. India’s Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project connects Kolkata to the port of Sittwe in Myanmar by sea, extends through the Kaladan river to Paletwa, and continues by road into Mizoram in northeastern India. The project is designed to reduce transport time and costs while reducing dependence on the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken’s Neck.
In contrast, China has strengthened its presence in Kyaukphyu in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where it is developing a deep-sea port and a special economic zone under the Belt and Road Initiative. The project provides China with strategic access to the Indian Ocean via the Bay of Bengal, bypassing the Malacca Strait and reinforcing its maritime connectivity ambitions.
The convergence of these developments highlights an intensifying regional contest over connectivity corridors, infrastructure influence, and strategic access routes across South and Southeast Asia, with Bangladesh emerging as a pivotal node in the evolving geopolitical landscape.
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