Chinese naval training vessel Qi Zhiguang (hull 83) and dock landing ship Jinggangshan (hull 999) arrived at Bangladesh’s southeastern Chittagong port on Saturday and are scheduled to stay there for three days. This is the first foreign naval base to dock in Bangladesh since the formation of the Mohammad Yunus caretaker government.
No one sees the closeness of the caretaker government with China after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, who is considered pro-India. China has been docking military ships in India’s neighboring countries Sri Lanka and Maldives. India has expressed concern that China is spying through this.
India has always been uncomfortable with the deployment of Chinese military vessels in neighboring countries, so the arrival of Chinese naval vessels in Bangladesh is a matter of concern for India.
China’s Ministry of Defense said that during the visit, it will hold bilateral meetings with Bangladesh and hold professional talks with the local people with the aim of strengthening interaction, cooperation and mutual trust with the Bangladesh Navy.
Why is Global Times so upset?
Global Times, China’s official newspaper, has taken issue with the panic being expressed in the Indian media over the Chinese ship’s stoppage in Bangladesh. The Global Times wrote that the ‘cautious tone adopted by the Indian media in its coverage of China’s naval presence speaks to India’s ‘zero-sum mentality’ (a country with India should not strengthen ties with China) and China’s skepticism. Regular military exchanges with South Asian countries were exposed.
The newspaper wrote, ‘This is the first time in four years that the Chinese Navy has arrived in Bangladesh. Also, this is the first flotilla of a foreign navy after the formation of Bangladesh’s interim government. The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh said the visit is important to further strengthen China-Bangladesh friendship and cooperation.
The Hindu linked the Chinese Navy’s arrival in Bangladesh with ongoing construction work at the Chittagong port. The newspaper wrote that the Chinese navy has the capacity to house submarines and warships, so it may have come here in connection with the port construction works.
Qian Feng, Director of the Research Department of Tsinghua University, National Strategy Institute of China, commented on this news which is doing the rounds in the Indian media.
“The Indian media’s speculation and cautious attitude towards regular defense exchanges between China and Bangladesh shows India’s zero-sum mentality towards China’s cooperation with other South Asian countries,” Global Times quoted a China expert as saying. India considers other South Asian countries as its followers and this mentality is the result of this understanding.
Quoting an alleged expert, the Global Times further wrote, ‘Since the interim government came to power, India has been closely watching Bangladesh’s policy towards China. But the visit of the training fleet indicates that Bangladesh’s cooperation with China will remain the same in various fields, not just in the military field, as the two countries have strong ties, and both countries want these ties to move forward.
