China Says India Can Join Bangladesh Corridor "If They Are Willing"

Bangladesh’s growing engagement with China, including cooperation over the Teesta region, Mongla Port and a proposed economic corridor through Myanmar, has raised strategic questions for India. While the developments indicate a deeper Chinese presence in Bangladesh, some analysts believe Dhaka’s closer ties with Beijing could also be aimed at strengthening its position in future negotiations with New Delhi.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said Beijing had proposed the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor about 15 years ago but the initiative failed to achieve the results China expected. He said the corridor remained open to other countries, including India, if they were willing to participate, while making clear that China was now determined to move forward with an economic corridor involving Bangladesh and Myanmar.

China’s growing involvement in the Teesta project is among the developments being closely watched by India. Yao said earlier cooperation involved a Chinese company and a Bangladeshi government entity, while the latest discussions were focused on government-level cooperation and surveys. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said its views on the Teesta River project have been conveyed to Bangladesh and that all related developments would be considered in New Delhi’s overall approach.

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The relationship gained further momentum during a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman in Beijing. The two leaders announced plans to build what they described as a China-Bangladesh community with a shared future in the new era. China also offered to advance a China-Myanmar-Bangladesh Economic Corridor, which could provide Beijing with another route towards the Bay of Bengal.

The proposed corridor resembles an earlier regional connectivity plan that included India and sought to connect Kunming with Kolkata through Mandalay and Dhaka. India and China already have separate strategic infrastructure interests in Myanmar. India’s Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project connects Kolkata with Sittwe port and continues through the Kaladan River and by road towards Mizoram, improving access to the northeastern region and reducing dependence on the strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor.

China, meanwhile, has developed a strategic presence at Kyaukphyu in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where projects linked to the Belt and Road Initiative provide access to the Indian Ocean through the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh’s closer cooperation with Beijing could therefore have long-term strategic implications for India, particularly around the Teesta region and regional connectivity. However, Dhaka’s approach may also reflect domestic political pressures and an effort to gain greater leverage in its dealings with New Delhi.

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