China Reassures: Bangladesh Ties 'Don't Target Third
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- China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing's cooperation with Bangladesh "does not target any third party and should be free from third-party influence" on June 26, 2026, while announcing support for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project.
- Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman made his first official visit to China on June 25-26, 2026, meeting President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
- President Xi Jinping told Rahman that China would remain a "trusted friend" of Bangladesh and remembered Rahman's parents — late PM Khaleda Zia and President Ziaur Rahman — as "good friends of China."
- The joint statement reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to the "one China policy" and expressed opposition to "any form of Taiwan independence."
- Yunnan province will receive more Bangladeshi medical tourists as China positions the visa-friendly access as an alternative to India, which the joint statement said "has not granted adequate number of visas till recently."
- Both sides agreed to modernize Mongla port and establish a Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Chittagong under the Belt and Road Initiative.
- BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gained Chinese backing for Bangladesh's greater role, with Beijing also supporting resolution of the Rohingya crisis through "friendly consultation" with Myanmar.
Why it matters: Over PM Tarique Rahman's first China visit (June 25-26), Beijing pairs the 'third party' reassurance with Mongla port modernization, a Chittagong industrial zone, Teesta cooperation, and BRICS/SCO backing — positioning Yunnan medical tourism as a direct alternative to India's visa restrictions while extracting a fresh Taiwan commitment from Dhaka.
