Tarique’s China visit expected to seal 15+ deals: Chinese analyst

As Prime Minister Tarique Rahman begins his first official visit to China since assuming office in February, a Chinese foreign policy analyst has noted both the promise and challenges facing Bangladesh-China relations.

In an article published Tuesday by the state-run Global Times, Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, wrote that Tarique’s three-day visit to Beijing is expected to result in more than 15 agreements and memorandums covering infrastructure, industrial cooperation, and investment projects.

He said Bangladesh and China are “traditional friends and neighbours and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners,” highlighting steady growth in ties over the past five decades.

Liu said the visit would demonstrate Bangladesh’s commitment to cooperation with China, noting that China has been Bangladesh’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years and has granted zero-tariff treatment to Bangladeshi exports.

He pointed to Chinese-backed projects such as the Padma Bridge as examples of improved transportation and connectivity of Bangladesh.

The article stressed industrial cooperation, with China encouraging its enterprises to establish manufacturing bases in Bangladesh to take advantage of labour-cost advantages and produce high-value, export-oriented goods.

Experts interviewed by CGTN also underscored the significance of the visit. International analyst Ali Ahmad Mabrur said China has contributed to many projects but should play a greater role in health, education, and technology, while Al Mamun Mridha, former secretary general of the Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the trip could support Bangladesh’s long-term development plans.

Despite growing cooperation, Liu identified geopolitical competition as a challenge, claiming that some global powers are attempting to draw Bangladesh into “exclusive security and development frameworks” while criticising China-backed projects through “debt trap” narratives.

He also cited concerns over domestic political stability and differing perceptions of China’s development model, though he argued these issues are "not insurmountable."

“Mechanisms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and regional industrial platforms could further integrate Bangladesh into Asian supply chains and multilateral economic frameworks,” Liu wrote.