The Diplomat :
Bangladesh and China will conduct their first-ever joint military exercises in early May.
Announcing the China-Bangladesh Golden Friendship 2024 joint exercises, Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian said in Beijing on April 25 that the joint drill in Bangladesh, which is “based on United Nations peacekeeping anti-terrorism operations” will see the two sides participate in joint exercises “such as the rescue of hostages on buses and the clean-up of terrorist camps.”
China and Bangladesh have strong economic ties. Beijing has invested over $25 billion in various projects in Bangladesh, the second-highest in a South Asian country after Pakistan.
It has played a significant role in building bridges, roads, railway tracks, airports, and power plants in Bangladesh.
Bilateral trade grew from $3.3 billion in 2009-10 to over $20 billion in 2021-22. Importantly, a broad array of products from Bangladesh enjoys zero tariffs in China.
In addition, China has emerged as an important military ally of Bangladesh. It provided the Bangladesh Navy with two refurbished submarines in 2016 at a discounted price of $205 million.
Moreover, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated a $1.21- billion China-built submarine base last year.
Located at Cox Bazaar off the Bay of Bengal coast, the base can house six submarines and eight warships simultaneously.
China’s bolstered relationship with Bangladesh, especially in naval cooperation, stems from the 2002 Defense Cooperation Agreement, covering military training and defense supplies.
The planned joint military exercises will deepen bilateral defense cooperation.
In China’s military strategy, engaging in international joint military exercises is viewed as a crucial aspect of utilizing military power abroad, categorized under what strategists term “non-war military operations.”