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“We are trying to bring in more investments, create jobs, and build infrastructure. China has the capacity to provide support in all these areas,” said Mahdi Amin, the prime minister’s spokesperson.

At the same time, the relationship has been elevated from the “Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership” to “China-Bangladesh Community with a Shared Future”, the highest level of bilateral relationship for China, according to the foreign ministry.

“The significance of the trip lies less in the number of instruments signed and benefits quantified and more in the strategic direction it sets,” said Sufiur Rahman, who served as Bangladesh ambassador to Geneva, Canberra and Myanmar.

There appears a shift toward deeper engagement, higher trust and greater foreign policy flexibility, he said.

According to the analyst, the new language of a “shared community” indicates an expansion of relations beyond state-to-state interactions to include people and society-level institutions.

‘NOT A GEOPOLITICAL TILT’

The visit has also generated discussion over whether Bangladesh is moving closer to China strategically. However, experts caution against viewing the developments through a binary geopolitical lens.

“I don’t think this will be a major tilt toward China. Rather, it will lead Bangladesh toward balancing. It reflects a correction to the excessive tilt towards India in the past decade,” said Sufiur.

“It will increase options for Bangladesh, and it doesn’t mean negating or lowering engagement with another partner.”

The analyst described the approach as one of “intensive engagement” rather than exclusionary diplomacy, arguing that Bangladesh can simultaneously strengthen relations with China, the US and India.

Bangladesh already has a very close engagement with the US, while Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir has said Tarique Rahman will visit India when time is conducive.

“If we simultaneously increase engagement with the US and China based on our needs and choices and at some stage repair our relationship with India, that would be a sign of maturity,” Sufiur said.

STRATEGIC DIALOGUE

One issue attracting attention is the proposed “Two+Two” mechanism involving foreign and defence officials from both countries.

Sufiur noted the mechanism remains exploratory rather than concrete and finalised.

Such mechanisms can improve Bangladesh’s strategic autonomy by creating wider networks and access to information and technology and thus help Bangladesh to form an informed perception of its challenges in its zone of interest and potential benefits of collaborative actions.

“Bangladesh can do this with anyone. Bangladesh needs to endeavour to retain its own strategic and foreign policy options,” the analyst said.

TEESTA APPROACH

The Teesta river project also drew significant attention during the visit after China agreed to support Bangladesh in water resource management and conduct further studies.

Prof SK Tawfique M Haque, director of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance at North South University, viewed China’s cautious approach positively.

Beijing has not immediately moved toward a binding commitment but spoke of a feasibility study.

He noted that any long-term solution depends not only on infrastructure development but also on water availability, which ultimately requires negotiations with India.

The approach, he added, may also create diplomatic leverage by signalling that Bangladesh has alternative partnerships available, Prof Haque said.

CONNECTIVITY BEYOND BCIM?

Another major issue emerging from the visit was discussion surrounding a China-Myanmar-Bangladesh economic corridor.

Prof Haque said the idea may represent an evolution beyond the earlier Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) framework.

He said practical realities, particularly the instability in Myanmar, will make land connectivity difficult in the near future.

Instead, maritime connectivity involving Chattogram and Myanmar’s Kyaukpyu port could be more realistic, he said. He argued that such connectivity could potentially contribute to economic development and even create conditions supporting long-term solutions to the Rohingya crisis.