Bangladesh’s Army Chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, left for China on Thursday morning. His visit is being considered significant against the backdrop of diplomatic murmurs involving Beijing, Islamabad, and Dhaka.
The visit comes at a time when China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, is on a tour of Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, is scheduled to visit Dhaka this Saturday.
According to a report by Anandabazar, Pakistan and China are pushing to form a new international alliance in South Asia. While SAARC already exists as a regional cooperation platform, it has been largely dormant for nearly a decade. Against this backdrop, Islamabad and Beijing are reportedly seeking to bring Dhaka on board in creating a trilateral strategic bloc.
Recently, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen, also claimed that initiatives were underway to establish a strategic triangle involving Pakistan and Bangladesh. However, the Anandabazar report notes that Dhaka has expressed reluctance to join such an alliance. The country’s interim government has made its position clear both publicly and through diplomatic channels.
Nevertheless, Beijing continues to exert diplomatic pressure to bring Dhaka actively into the proposal. In this context, the Army Chief’s visit to China is being viewed with particular importance. It remains uncertain, however, whether the issue of the proposed trilateral alliance will come up in his discussions during the trip.