The new government of Bangladesh has formally sought China’s support for the Teesta River Project. This step may affect the relations between India and Bangladesh. The Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP) was discussed in the meeting between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday. This information was given by Bangladesh’s government news agency BSS.
Why is Teesta River important?
Teesta River originates in the Eastern Himalayas and enters Bangladesh passing through Sikkim and West Bengal. This river is considered to be the main source of irrigation and livelihood of millions of people in Bangladesh. At the meeting, Wang Yi expressed China’s support for the new Bangladesh government, saying China is ready to integrate Belt and Road cooperation with Bangladesh’s development strategies and enhance cooperation in traditional areas such as economy, infrastructure and people-to-people contacts. He said that China will also encourage its companies to invest in Bangladesh.
What explanation did China give?
In a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, it was said that China’s relations with Bangladesh and other countries of South Asia are not being targeted at any third party, nor should they be affected by any third party.
This is the first visit of Foreign Minister Khalilur Rehman to China after the new government led by Tariq Rehman came to power. He reached China on May 5 and is scheduled to return on Thursday. Earlier last month he had also visited India. His visit to India was closely watched by Beijing as relations between Dhaka and New Delhi had seen strain over Bangladesh’s move closer to China and Pakistan during the Mohammad Yunus-led interim administration following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
China’s interest in Teesta project
China has been showing interest in the Teesta project for a long time. The project is located near India’s sensitive Siliguri Corridor, which connects the northeastern states to the country’s mainland. It is against this backdrop that India has offered technical and conservation assistance for the Teesta Basin in 2024 to strengthen cooperation with Dhaka on trans-border river management.
Water sharing issue between India and Bangladesh
Water sharing has always been an important issue between India and Bangladesh. The India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Agreement signed in 1996 regarding sharing of the Ganga river’s dry season water is set to expire this year unless it is renewed.
Meanwhile, China has continuously increased its economic and diplomatic presence in Bangladesh in recent years. According to Bangladeshi media reports, China is Bangladesh’s fourth largest lender after Japan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Since 1975, China has given a loan of 7.5 billion dollars to Bangladesh.
During the meeting, the two countries agreed to advance the China-Bangladesh Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership by enhancing coordination between their development strategies. Bangladesh reiterated its support for the One China policy, saying Taiwan is an integral part of China and it opposes any form of Taiwan independence. At the same time, China reiterated its support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Bangladesh.