The fact that the three top-level diplomats of China, Pakistan and Bangladesh met in China just a week before the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries meet in China’s Qingdao from June 25 to 27 may not entirely be coincidental.
It may be a well-considered messaging of China’s growing centrality in the SCO scheme of things more particularly so after India’s abrupt distancing on June 14 from the SCO statement that condemned Israel’s military action against Iran. Notably, Iran is also a member of the SCO having joined in 2023.
And to further buttress that point, on June 19, China’s vice foreign minister Sun Weidong brought together Pakistan’s additional secretary ambassador Imran Ahmed Siddiqui and acting foreign secretary of Bangladesh Ruhul Alam Siddiqui in Kunming in Yunnan province. Pakistani foreign secretary Amna Baloch joined online on video.
Interestingly, a Chinese foreign ministry official said of the trilateral meeting: “The three sides emphasised that China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism, not directed at any third party”.
The meeting is indicative of the fact that China is consolidating its position in the South Asia region by bringing together two of India’s immediate neighbours—Pakistan and Bangladesh under its fold.
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This is significant in the backdrop of India’s May 7-11 four-day-long military conflict with Pakistan and plummeting bilateral relations with Bangladesh. India and China had clashed in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh five years ago.
At the military-strategic level, India now has three not-so-friendly fronts with Pakistan, China and Bangladesh. Even in the best-case scenario, the number and extent of men and material needed to man the borders will be telling on the logistics and the economic aspects of it.
This Chinese move aims to undermine India’s strategic positioning as a potential challenger to China in Asia.
Having actively helped Pakistan with military equipment and platforms, China is closely pursuing to close a 40 fighter aircraft deal with Pakistan. Acquisition of these fifth generation J-35 stealth fighters will completely undo the air force asymmetry that India has with Pakistan.
Besides four frigates, China has already given eight Hangor-class submarines to Pakistan in a $5 billion deal. This has given much more teeth to Pakistan’s relatively weak navy.
According to sources, Singh will meet his Chinese and Russian counterparts defence minister Admiral Dong and Andrey Belousov respectively on the sidelines of the SCO meet.
This is the second time after the Galwan Valley incident of mid-2020 that Singh will meet Admiral Dong after the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Laos in November 2024.
