According to the popular Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor to Bangladesh interim government, is scheduled to visit China on March 26. He is expected to attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan province before heading to Beijing for a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. As the new leadership in Dhaka seeks to strengthen ties with Beijing, New Delhi has opted to approach the situation with strategic caution and patience.
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Strengthening Ties: High-Level Engagements Mark a New Chapter in China-Bangladesh Relations
In 2025, Beijing and Dhaka have witnessed a series of significant engagements. In January, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain to discuss strengthening traditional cooperation and exploring new areas to enhance bilateral relations. On February 20, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong met with Bangladesh’s newly appointed Ambassador to China, Nazmul Islam, who reaffirmed Dhaka’s view of Beijing as a “reliable friend and partner.” Additionally, from February 25 to March 6, a 21-member Bangladeshi delegation—including political representatives, journalists, scholars, and student leaders—visited China at the invitation of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. These high-level interactions come amid a period of strained relations between Bangladesh and India.
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From Adversary to Ally: Bangladesh’s Strategic Pivot Towards China Under Yunus
Historically, China stood by the Yahya Khan-led Pakistani government during the 1971 East Pakistan crisis and, in 1972, exercised its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to block Bangladesh’s admission as a gesture of support for Pakistan. However, the “new Bangladesh” under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus—promoting unity, democratic renewal, and transparency—now appears to be gravitating towards China, seemingly at the expense of a long-standing friendship.
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Shifting Alliances: Yunus Seeks Stability Amid Waning US Support and Growing China Ties
There are several reasons behind Bangladesh’s apparent shift in alignment. First, as Muhammad Yunus’s once-celebrated image loses its luster amid growing doubts about his governance abilities and the slow pace of promised reforms, he is working to solidify his position by aligning with both domestic factions and foreign powers that previously supported Hasina’s regime. Second, with Washington adopting a more inward-focused stance, Dhaka has increasingly looked to Beijing as an alternative financial backer. In February, the new Donald Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency announced the cancellation of $29 billion in aid to Bangladesh. When asked about the aid cut during a March interview with the BBC, Yunus remarked, “It is their decision to do whatever it is…it doesn’t mean Bangladesh will disappear from the map. We will have a new strategy on how to survive.”