Islamabad: Pakistan, China and Bangladesh have launched a trilateral cooperation mechanism, committing to follow the “winning cooperation” in which it could mark a subtle but significant change in the strategic landscape of southern Asia.
The announcement occurred after the opening meeting of the Mechanism of the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs/Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh-China-Pakistan on Friday.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting was attended by Chinese Vice Minister Sun Weidong, Bangladesh’s interim Secretary of Bangladesh, Ruhul Alam Siddique and the additional Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amna Baloch, joined the initial session through the video link.
The new trilateral forum seeks to improve commitment, work for more trade, investment
In her comments, Mrs. Baloch expressed Pakistan’s desire for a deeper commitment between China and the countries of southern Asia.
He highlighted the “ascending trajectory of bilateral ties” with China and Bangladesh and “transmitted Pakistan’s preparation to work with the two nations to improve ties in trade and investment, agriculture, digital economy, environmental protection, marine sciences, green infrastructure, culture, education and people with exchange.
The three nations agreed to establish a joint work group to supervise the implementation of the agreements reached during the conversations.
The launch of this trilateral platform marks remarkable development in the geopolitical landscape of southern Asia, particularly when he brought together Pakistan and Bangladesh, who had remained diplomatically distant for decades.
The relations between Islamabad and Dhaka have been heated considerably since the expulsion of the former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, last year.
Under the interim leadership of the main advisor Muhammad Yunus, Dhaka has actively performed broader diplomatic horizons, including a new phase of commitment to China and Pakistan.
China, on the other hand, has tried to deepen its influence on southern Asia through economic diplomacy and regional connectivity initiatives.
The state visit of Mr. Yunus to Beijing in March and Bangladesh’s invitation to China to invest in delicate infrastructure projects such as the Teesta River and the port of Mongla suggest a change in policy of the trend approach of Mrs. Hasina in India.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and Bangladesh have resumed direct trade, military exchanges and high -level diplomatic dialogue after more than a minimum contact decade.
For Beijing, the growing trilateral ties advance their long -term regional objectives that are related to the construction of alternative economic corridors, expanding their presence in Bengal Bay and reducing the strategic space of India in the neighborhood.
For India, the formation of a Chinese-Pakistan-Bangladesh alignment could raise important diplomatic and security concerns, particularly because some of the infrastructure projects proposed by the Chinese are near the sensitive corridor of the northeast of India.
Although the trilateral mechanism remains in its training stages, the institutionalization of these ties indicates a deliberate attempt of the three countries to explore long -term cooperation beyond bilateral commitments.
The group could evolve to a new regional bloc with implications for the geopolitics of southern Asia, especially if the association expands to include broader connectivity, defense dialogues and coordinated positions in international forums.
A specific timeline was not announced for the next round of meetings, but it is expected that the establishment of a joint work group accelerate monitoring discussions and cooperation in multiple sectors.
Posted in Dawn, June 21, 2025
