The deepening of China-Bangladesh relations is both a strategic choice for the two countries to jointly promote modernization and achieve common development, as well as a vivid manifestation of the continuous deepening of cooperation in the Global South. It also reflects the important direction of the evolution of contemporary international relations. Against the backdrop of the accelerated evolution of global changes over the past century and the resurgence of development issues as a core concern of the international community, more and more developing countries are focusing on using development to build consensus, promoting growth through cooperation, and shaping the future through modernization. The upgrading and enhancement of China-Bangladesh relations are a clear manifestation of this trend. From June 24 to 26, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Tariqul Rahman, paid an official visit to China. This visit not only injected new momentum into the development of China-Bangladesh relations in the new era but also further demonstrated that, for the vast majority of countries in the Global South, prioritizing development, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, and advancing common modernization are increasingly becoming important choices for addressing the profound changes in the international environment, expanding common interests, and enhancing participation in global governance.
For a considerable period following the end of the Cold War, international cooperation was largely influenced by security competition and geopolitical logic, and development issues did not consistently remain at the forefront of the international agenda. Since the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century, the world’s economic growth has been sluggish, global supply chains and industrial chains have undergone significant adjustments, and the development gap between the North and the South remains stark. Development issues have once again become a central concern of the international community. Against this backdrop, China and Bangladesh have consistently prioritized development and pursued mutually beneficial cooperation, continuously deepening strategic alignment and advancing bilateral relations to a higher level. Cooperation between China and Bangladesh has also evolved from traditional project-based cooperation to modern capacity-building and strategic coordination, gradually transcending the purely geopolitical-oriented logic of cooperation and forming a new type of development partnership characterized by joint development and modernization.
The most striking feature of China-Myanmar relations is the consistent maintenance of strategic continuity and the stability of a development-oriented approach. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have upheld mutual respect and equality, continuously consolidating political mutual trust and gradually extending cooperation from political exchanges to various fields such as economic and trade investment, connectivity, and cultural exchanges. The modernization processes of both countries have continued to advance, and the areas of cooperation have expanded continuously, with the cooperation level deepening further. Both countries have always adhered to the fundamental principle of using development to promote stability and using cooperation to drive modernization. This stable and deepening development logic has not only provided vital support for maintaining the vitality of bilateral relations but has also offered valuable lessons for other countries in the global South to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation.
Currently, China-Bangladesh cooperation is shifting from traditional project-based cooperation to more systematic and higher-level modern strategic cooperation. For a long time, infrastructure development has been a crucial pillar of bilateral cooperation, providing a solid foundation for the economic and social development and connectivity of both countries. As both countries continue to advance in their modernization processes and upgrade their development needs, the areas of cooperation between the two nations have expanded, gradually extending to emerging fields such as industrial upgrading, technological innovation, digital economy, green and low-carbon development, and capacity-building for public governance.
This transformation signifies that China-Bangladesh cooperation is undergoing a shift from being “project-driven” to “capacity-building,” from focusing on infrastructure connectivity to placing greater emphasis on cultivating modern capabilities, and from prioritizing economic growth as the primary objective to promoting coordinated progress in economic, social, scientific, and technological development, as well as green growth. The essence of cooperation has become more diverse, and the level of cooperation has deepened, enabling China-Bangladesh relations to gradually evolve into a new type of development partnership guided by mutual modernization and aimed at common development. This transformation of cooperation holds significant theoretical and practical value. Modernization in the new era has long transcended the mere enhancement of economic aggregate; it encompasses comprehensive systems engineering encompassing the restructuring of industrial systems, the enhancement of technological self-sufficiency, sustainable green development, and the refinement of governance systems. China’s pursuit of Chinese-style modernization and Bangladesh’s implementation of the “Bangladesh Priority” development strategy, while having different paths, share a high degree of alignment in their development philosophies and objectives. This strategic alignment enables China-Bangladesh cooperation to transcend traditional aid or trade relationships and form a more stable, endogenous structure of a new type of development partnership.
The continuous improvement of institutional construction has provided an important guarantee for the stable development of China-Myanmar relations. In recent years, the two countries have continuously refined their mechanisms for high-level exchanges, strengthened their strategic communication platforms, and deepened coordination and cooperation in areas such as diplomacy and defense. This has helped to gradually institutionalize, normalize, and systematize bilateral relations. This not only enhances the efficiency of policy communication and pragmatic cooperation but also increases the stability and predictability of bilateral cooperation, laying a more solid institutional foundation for the long-term development of China-Myanmar ties. Meanwhile, humanistic exchanges in the fields of education, youth, media, think tanks, and public health have continued to deepen, fostering greater mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries and providing a solid social foundation and popular support for the healthy development of bilateral relations.
Looking at the overall development process of the global South as a whole, the exemplary significance of China-Bangladesh relations has become increasingly apparent. Currently, more and more developing countries are focusing on enhancing their capacity for autonomous development, using industrialization, digitalization, and green transformation as key tools to advance modernization, and actively exploring development paths that are in line with their national conditions. China-Bangladesh cooperation aligns with this trend, emphasizing capacity-building, industrial development, and modernization, continuously strengthening the internal driving force of development rather than merely relying on financial support or project cooperation. This type of cooperation, which aims for common development, supports capacity-building, and is guided by the principles of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, not only meets the practical needs of countries in the global South in advancing their modernization efforts but also provides valuable lessons for them in exploring their paths to autonomous development. As bilateral cooperation deepens, the breadth and depth of China-Bangladesh multilateral coordination have also continued to grow. Both countries have consistently upheld the international system centered on the United Nations and the international order based on international law, adhered to the multilateral trading system, actively promoted the evolution of the global economic governance system towards greater fairness, inclusivity, and equity, and participated in the construction of regional and global governance mechanisms with an open mindset. This means that China-Bangladesh relations have long gone beyond the single dimension of bilateral cooperation and have become an important interactive platform for reforming the global governance system and fostering joint self-improvement among countries in the global South.
Looking at the development trajectory of China-Myanmar relations, it has been marked by a clear and steady progression. From the continuous consolidation of political mutual trust to the deepening of economic and trade cooperation, and finally to the thorough alignment of development strategies, bilateral cooperation has steadily moved to a higher level. Based on a shared commitment to prioritizing development and pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, China-Myanmar relations are now entering a new phase characterized by joint modernization. Development cooperation, once a significant component of bilateral relations, is gradually becoming the core driving force that underpins the stability and long-term development of the relationship between the two countries.
In the context of the profound restructuring of the international order and the overall rise of the global South, the significance of China-Bangladesh relations has long gone beyond the bilateral level. It not only responds to the practical needs of the modernization of both countries, but also reflects the common direction of developing countries in exploring their own path of development and innovating international cooperation models. Both sides uphold mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, and openness and inclusiveness, achieving common development through cooperation, which is highly consistent with the concept of a community of shared future for mankind. It also showcases the broad prospects of countries in the global South working together to address challenges and jointly promote prosperity.
Looking to the future, the vitality of international cooperation lies not in the establishment of a closed and exclusive system of camps, but in the ability to continuously expand common interests and create more public goods that promote development. Additionally, the stability of the international order is determined not solely by changes in the balance of power, but by the deep integration of the development interests of various countries and the sustained pursuit of common development. The decades-long development of China-Bangladesh relations have amply demonstrated that adhering to the priorities of development, pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, and working together towards modernization not only provides a solid foundation for the sustained development of bilateral relations, but also offers valuable insights for other countries in the global South to deepen cooperation, improve global governance, and promote the establishment of a more just and equitable international order. (Outlook New Era)
(The author He Hongmei is the Director, Researcher, and Doctor at the Institute of South Asian Studies, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences.)
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