China-Bangladesh ties can be further strengthened for mutual benefits

It has excellent ties with Bangladesh and Nepal while relations with a major regional country Pakistan has been traditionally very cordial and attitude towards India, the biggest nation in the area, is changing as both countries are normalising the relationship keeping the main bone of contention -- the border dispute -- somewhat on the backburner although some progress has been made on the issue when the former Indian prime minister made a visit to the vast neighbour not too long ago. Sino-Indian ties, once characterised by wramth of "Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai", were soured by the 1962 border clashes which took long time to repair and the process still continues. Their ties are expected to be better with a change of government in New Delhi mainly because of the influence of the leftists in the new administration.

China says it is keen to see greater cooperation among the South Asian nations so that these countries can jettison their bilateral differences as far as possible on one hand and develop cooperative ventures benefitting its vast multitude on the other. Undoubtedly, Chinese influence in South Asia can be reckoned with significance in the sense that it is attaching importance to the region as a whole and also seeks to develop ties at bilateral level. During talks recently with a Bangladesh media delegation comprising national editors and senior journalists, important Chinese figures including assistant ministers made adequate references to Beijing's policy to encourage the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and spoke of sufficient importance to bilateral ties with Dhaka.

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From China's point of view, it is keen to further develop political and economic cooperative ties with Bangladesh, a country it values as a good friend. Dhaka, on its part, for nearly thirty years, has also explored all possible areas to enhance the cooperation. Since democracy was restored in Bangladesh through the 1991 general elections, key political leaders visited China at the invitation of Beijing and reaffirmed their support to the Sino-Bangladesh ties. The present prime minister received a warm ovation during her visit to China as an opposition leader four years ago. Likewise, present main opposition leader was there last year. This exemplifies the importance China occupies in Bangladesh and fittingly, a closer Dhaka-Beijing relationship will be of immense advantage for both and obviously little more for the smaller partner.

But the bigger nation hardly poses itself as a world or regional power and instead loves to identify as a member of the developing world as much as most of the nations are. The Chinese ambassador here Chai Xi, an expert on Bangladesh affairs, who speaks fluent Bengali as he was a student here and later rose to become envoy from young diplomat, rightly says that his main task is to put the bilateral cooperative interactions into a more productive frame. However, there exist areas which need to be identified for economic cooperation by extending the gamut of trade and commerce.

The communist China has opened up its economic front since 1978 and has made remarkable progress in industrilisation and in the process is emerging as a major global economic power competing with Western developed nations. A visit to Beijing and country's main commercial city Shanghai would leave one convinced that glittering touches of development are so palpable that these can justifiably be envious for the advanced economies. The foreign direct investment is huge and the foreign exchange reserve is a whopping more than US dollars 400 billion. More and more foreign investments are pouring in to beef up the local investment. Pudong, the extended area of Shanghai, is bristling with all activities bearing the testimony of development in an amazing speed in a country which has maintained its communist philosophy by one-party rule but made significant innovations in the economic arena by introducing free economy.

Chinese leaders say the country adheres to Marxism-Leinism, which does not discourge innovations. The famous maxim that the "colour of the cat -- white or black -- does not matter, what matters whether it can kill the mouse" is often quoted in the context of national development and prosperity.

On bilateral plane, efforts can be made to bring areas geographically closer to Bangladesh for closer cooperation. For instance, the Yunnan province is not far from here but potentials still remain unexploited. The beautiful provincial capital Kunming is buzzing with foreign tourists and investors. A direct flight from Dhaka or Chittagong will take hardly two hours but one has to travel through Bangkok taking almost twenty-four hours considering the hastle of the connecting flights. The Deputy Governor of Yunnan says there is no lack of interest on their part for a direct flight with Bangladesh and he himself is leading a delegation to Dhaka soon to discuss cooperation including the air flight.

It is important that Bangladesh fully realises the gestures and seizes the opportunities for developing a steady and effective inter-governmental cooperative mechanism that also covermulti-lateral beneficial ventures. The Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) economic cooperation covering Yunnan province of China, Bihar and northeast of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar with a total area of 1.65 million square km and 403 million people holds big promise for cooperation. It is important that all quarters pursue the venture with all seriousness for enormous benefits complimentary to each other. Foot-dragging on decision making often causes great harm and Bangladesh needs to be particularly alert on this should it want to integrate itself in this enterprise that can produce high results including easier communications through road links.

One issue that has both political and economic repercussions in the context of Sino-Bangladesh ties cannot be overlooked in any serious analysis particularly when viewed from the point of recent developments in the bilateral ties. The "Taiwan" factor certainly did cause some ripples in the otherwise excellent Dhaka-Beijing links and there can be no denying of this as reported by the press. China is not averse to some kind of commercial ties by other countries with Taiwan, which it considers as defiant province that Beijing hopes would eventually reunite with the mainland through peaceful process.

However, it is a major international problem involving not only geographically small Taiwan but big global powers. The United States has strategic stakes on the issue for long. China itself has huge investment from Taiwan. But Beijing is certainly very sensitive and looks askance at any gesture with Taiwan that has political overtones. It reacted very sharply at a recent visit by a senior minister of Singapore, who is set to become the next prime minister, to Taiwan although the city-state insisted that the visit was private and unofficial. It is believed that whatever misunderstanding or strain caused in the bilateral ties over a Taiwan trade office in Dhaka has largely disappeared.

Relations with China embodies both political and economic values. Nothing should be done from either side that is potentially dangerous to scuttle cordiality and friendship which stand for mutual benefits. A closer Sino-Bangladesh relationship is imperative for healthy bilateral and regional environment and there can be no slackening in this direction with mutual commitment for furtherance of congenial political and economic atmosphere.

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury is a senior journalist.