Bangladesh, Pakistan, China hold inaugural trilateral foreign office discussion

Dhaka: Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China have held their first-ever trilateral foreign office-level meeting in Kunming, China—a move seen as part of a shifting regional alignment following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh last year.

The meeting brought together Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Bangladesh’s Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique, and Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary for Asia-Pacific Imran Ahmed Siddiqui. Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch joined virtually. “This trilateral mechanism reflects common aspirations for people-centric development,” Baloch said, expressing Pakistan’s interest in deeper engagement between China and South Asian countries. Her participation follows the first bilateral consultation between Pakistan and Bangladesh in over 15 years, held in April.

This trilateral forum, launched amid growing Bangladesh-China ties and Dhaka’s strained relations with Delhi, comes just months after Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus visited China in March. There, he pitched Bangladesh as “the only guardian of the ocean,” positioning the country as a strategic gateway to northeast India—a remark that reportedly irked Indian officials and was followed by India’s suspension of certain overland exports from Bangladesh to the northeast. Coinciding with the Kunming talks, Yunus’ National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman met US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in Washington, discussing the Rohingya crisis, tariff issues, regional developments, and Bangladesh’s democratic transition. The humanitarian corridor to Myanmar’s Rakhine province, proposed by Bangladesh, is gaining international attention, especially after US Air Force relief activities in Cox’s Bazar last month.

In Kunming, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh committed to cooperation in trade, industry, climate change, water resources, agriculture, education, and youth. A working group will implement the decisions. “Bangladesh and Pakistan are both good neighbours, good friends, and good partners of China,” said Sun Weidong, underlining cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and China’s vision for a “community with a shared future.” Pakistan’s Baloch echoed support for partnerships in marine science, green infrastructure, digital economy, and cultural exchanges. While China and Pakistan issued official statements after the meeting, Bangladesh has yet to comment—an omission noted by diplomats. China clarified that the new trilateral cooperation follows principles of openness, inclusivity, and “win-win cooperation,” and is “not directed at any third party”—an apparent reference to India.