‘He just smiled’: Why Bangladesh is resisting China’s push for a trilateral alliance with Pakistan

Nobel laureate and chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government Muhammad Yunus - File Photo

Despite public denials from Bangladesh, China continues to pressure Dhaka to join a China-Pakistan-Bangladesh axis, raising fresh concerns in India and beyond over Beijing’s strategic ambitions in South Asia. According to a report in Prothom Alo, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi again raised the proposal during a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 11.

The meeting, held during a break in the summit, saw Wang Yi urging Bangladesh to consider the trilateral arrangement -- a continuation of discussions that began informally at the Kunming meeting earlier this year. That earlier interaction, which took place during the China-South Asia Exposition and the China-South Asia Cooperation Forum, involved representatives from China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

As per Prothom Alo, Wang once again “suggested that Bangladesh play an active role in the initiative.” Hossain, however, remained non-committal. “He listened attentively and smiled,” the Bangladeshi daily reported, quoting unnamed diplomatic sources familiar with the interaction.

Confirming China’s push, Hossain told Prothom Alo: “China raised the trilateral initiative during the meetings. Bangladesh will not join such a trilateral initiative at this time.”

This is not an isolated attempt. Since the Kunming talks, Beijing has reportedly broached the subject at least five times, in what appears to be a concerted diplomatic campaign to include Bangladesh in a strategic triangle that conspicuously excludes other key South Asian countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Dhaka, however, is treading cautiously. The Prothom Alo report notes that the interim Bangladeshi government has refused to take any decision that “may cause suspicion among different countries in the regional and international arena.” While India is not named explicitly, the subtext is clear — aligning with Pakistan, even in a Chinese-led initiative, would undermine Bangladesh’s delicate balancing act in the region.

Bangladesh has also begun to scrutinise China’s motives. While Beijing frames the trilateral format as a platform for regional cooperation, Dhaka reportedly questioned why other South Asian neighbours were not being included. Beijing has yet to respond clearly to this query, according to the Prothom Alo article.

Another significant sticking point is Bangladesh’s frosty but recently thawing relationship with Pakistan. Diplomatic ties between the two countries had remained stagnant for nearly 15 years, largely due to Pakistan’s refusal to accept its historical role in the 1971 genocide. Although ties have started to improve cautiously, Dhaka’s interim government does not see this as the right moment to make binding diplomatic commitments.

“There are serious historical and political issues that need to be resolved,” Prothom Alo quoted officials as saying. The view within Dhaka’s corridors of power is that decisions involving Pakistan, especially ones with long-term foreign policy implications, must be left to an elected government.

In sum, Bangladesh appears unconvinced by Beijing’s proposal and deeply wary of getting entangled in any alliance that includes Pakistan. For now, China’s repeated nudges seem to be falling flat, even as Dhaka quietly asserts its diplomatic independence.