International Affairs
By N.P. Upadhyaya
Kathmandu: It would be wise to put some facts straight. South Asian nation Bangladesh neither has been so far invited nor intends to join the Security Dialogue of the Quad comprising Australia, Japan, India and the United States of America, say regional media sources.
Yet some high placed political authorities in Dhaka hint that B’desh would very much wish ‘being a part’ of the Indo-Pacific initiative, writes Nayanima Basu for the PRINT May 12, because of its strategic location in the Bay of Bengal.
Ms Basu writes further that even if so, Dhaka would prefer very much to get associated with the ‘economic and connectivity’ aspect of the Quad.
Interestingly, Delhi’s preference obviously would be to bring in Dhaka to the Indo-Pacific orbit but so far it too has not dared to invite its friend-from-the-birth which in recent years has maintained close proximity with Delhi’s declared enemy, Beijing.
But it is hard to digest that Delhi may not have yet proposed Dhaka to join the Quadrilateral forum led primarily by the United States of America.
Dhaka, for Delhi, is a proxy state.
The ground reality is that Dhaka’s inching closer in the recent months and years to Beijing is detested by Delhi, however, Delhi’s hands are tied as the Bangladeshi population take China as an “all-weather friend”. Dhaka has considerable resentment on Indian minister Amit Sah’s calling Bangladeshi nationals “termites”. Rebuking the Indian Minister’s use of highly insulting word termite, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh A.K. Abdul Momen said to an Indian media, The Print March 27, “Bangladeshis are not termites”.
Needless to say, Washington, one of the key players of the Quad claims that Bangladesh was an important partner in South Asia.
Bangladesh as a new South Asian nation emerged only when India under Mrs Indira Gandhi managed to bifurcate its all-time adversary-Pakistan. No surprise, from 2019/20 onwards, Dhaka and Islamabad have dramatically come closer to the utter dismay of the Delhi rulers.
Pakistan Ambassador in Bangladesh Imran Ahmed Siddiqui took the first “secret” initiative in July 2020, which facilitated later Imran Khan’s cautious telephone talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the same month.
The China factor obviously has worked for this dramatic sociability in between Islamabad and Dhaka. Blood is thicker than water!
Delhi might have been observing Beijing’s increasing ties and thereby stimulus in Dhaka’s political circles through several developmental projects and very freshly through the vaccine diplomacy (Sinopharm). As predicted by late Bhutto, India has to confront two Pakistan in its neighborhood.
The March violent demonstrations in Dhaka against Modi’s (unwanted) arrival spoke that Dhaka prefers not to be taken as an Indian satellite.
Dhaka also intends to cozy up with Beijing on its own terms and conditions and political benefits.
Perhaps it is this suppressed interest of Dhaka in joining the Quad even if it is in for a limited purpose that appears to have prompted the visiting Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe while meeting the President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid on April 29, wherein he had said, “China and Bangladesh should make joint efforts against powers from outside the region establishing a “military alliance” in South Asia and practicing hegemonism”.
Notably, as per international media sources including Xinhua, Minister Wei Fenghe made these remarks when Dhaka and Beijing both agreed to “advance the bilateral military cooperation”.
Media sources in Dhaka also claim that President Hamid while meeting Wei Fenghe welcomed Beijing’s desire to strengthen the bilateral defense ties in the days to come. This definitely was an open invitation to Beijing from Dhaka.
More so, the Chinese Defense Minister had said, “Beijing will continue its strategic cooperation in the development of Bangladesh’s armed forces as the military cooperation between two countries is gradually increasing”.
Wei made these meaning loaded remarks close on the heels of the Alaska debacle (March 18 to be more precise) which saw high voltage verbal-conflicting disagreements between the US and the Chinese team that was led respectively by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Communist Party senior man Yang Jiechi. China felt defeated and thus appears to have taken aggressive steps onwards to challenge the lone Super Power, the USA. In the eyes of the US, China is an authoritarian country that has the least respect for democracy and its core universal values. On the contrary, China says that it is comfortable with the system that it has and warns the US not to impose its preferred system of governance.
Alaska meet of the last March will go a long way in jolting both China and the US forcing both to devise schemes to outmaneuver the other in order to establish their superiority in world power politics. China now has the Israel-Palestinian conflict to take up against the US.
As a continuity to its aggressive policy acquired post-Alaska meet, China very freshly made some near to aggressively “undiplomatic” comments which in all likelihood has shaken Dhaka-Beijing ties.
Chinese Ambassador in Bangladesh Li Jiming, at a press meet with the ‘Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh’ May 10, warned the host country, “Dhaka’s participation in the anti-Beijing club would result in “substantial damage” to bilateral relations.
A close look at Ambassador Jiming’s blunt remarks appears to have been guided best by the theory or say the assumption that since “Dhaka and Delhi are tied from the birthdays thus Dhaka may opt to join the Quad club if and when some influential members of the security block, such as Delhi, Tokyo or even Washington encourage Dhaka to join the political entity to which China has strong distaste and takes as Asian NATO.
But the remarks of the Chinese envoy may have been a preemptive move aimed at sending early signals to Dhaka that Beijing may not like Dhaka joining the so-called anti-China club.
China though has no right to dictate Bangladesh its terms on how to chart its foreign policy, but being a close neighbor definitely, China can sound or even plead not to inch closer to the Quad.
Retorting to the Chinese Ambassador’s blunt remarks, the sitting foreign minister of Bangladesh told the press, “We are an independent and sovereign State. We decide our foreign policy”.
Foreign Ministry in Dhaka said that the comments made by Li were “very unfortunate” and presumptuous”. Foreign Minister Momen had also carrot under his sleeves for Beijing when he added in his rejoinder, “Usually China does not interfere in others’ affairs”. This speaks that Dhaka has a considerable amount of love and honor for Beijing.
Minister Momen has come to the rescue of the Chinese envoy in an oblique manner. Momen said to the media that so far “The organization he [Li] speaks of has shown no interest in us, so [Li’s] statement was presumptuous,” Momen said, referring to the Quad.
Pakistan for the moment is terribly busy in condemning Israel for its merciless attacks on the abode of the Palestinians which in the process damaged the third most adored Mosque in the world.
Clarifying its position, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on May 12 in a regular briefing, “I can tell you clearly that China and B’desh are very friendly close neighbors.
She further said that the two countries have grown their ties on the basis of the principles of peaceful coexistence”.
On May 11, Ned Price, the US State Department spokesman said commenting on China’s blast on Quad in Dhaka, “what we would say is that we respect Bangladesh’s sovereignty and we respect Bangladesh’s right to make foreign policy decisions for itself”.
Coincidently, on May 14, Ali Riaz, a professor of Political Science at Illinois University claims that Beijing may have taken note when Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegen-highlighted the importance of Bangladesh to the Quad last year.
On 19 October 2020, Bigen had said, “The United States sees Bangladesh as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region, and we’re committed to growing our partnership in this regard to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific”. Bigen made these remarks following an October 15 meeting with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen in Dhaka. This may have in all certainty alarmed Beijing which has also been corroborated by Professor Riaz.
Jasmine Buckner writes for the Illinois University newsletter May 14 that Professor Riaz described the Chinese envoy’s comment as “a pre-emptive move to deter any future possibilities of Bangladesh joining the Quad,” adding that it was also a way to caution Bangladesh from drawing too close to the US.
Global Times on Quad:
Immediately after the Chinese Ambassador remarked on Quad in Dhaka, the Global Times wrote on May 11, “As a response, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Moment told local English daily Dhaka Post that, “None of us was invited to the Quad, nor did we show interest.” If what he said is the fact, this will be good. But given that some media outlets, including local ones, had covered Li’s remarks, the news that Bangladesh had been invited to join the Quad was possibly not groundless. Bangladesh either had talked with Quad members over this issue or aim to launch a trial balloon to see China’s reaction”.
The Quad member countries, as per the Chinese media, have resolved to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific amid growing Chinese assertiveness in the strategically vital region.
To recall, the first meeting or say Summit of the US-led Quad leaders was very freshly hosted by US President Joe Biden, March 12 and the virtual meeting was attended by Indian Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
Pakistan media on Quad:
The Nation in its editorial on May 17, wrote, “The Quad needs to evolve from a China-focused club of four to a more development-oriented programme. Furthermore, the members, in their efforts to “democratize the region” will only cause more strife, especially now that India has come out openly against Beijing in the virtual meeting. This makes it essential for players like Pakistan, China and Russia to watch these new developments closely and shore up alliances where possible”.
The Nation further stated that the security dialogue “contained both broad substance and deep symbolism. Biden’s early push for the Quad engagement must be seen as part of his promise to restore America’s global leadership and reaffirm regional alliances that went sore during Trump’s presidency. Ultimately, like his predecessor, Biden has also chosen the path of confrontation vis a vis China”.
But will President Biden choose the path of confrontation as against reconciliation?
Should this mean that Pakistan, Russia and China will form an alliance of sort to checkmate the US-led Quad with India — the nearest rival of Pakistan and China as the undeclared boss of the South Asian region?
Observers in Nepal, however, suggest the US administration under Joe Biden not to allow the South Asian regional bully India the authority of a Police State. India even as of now is more than a Police State. What will happen to the smaller South Asian nations if and when the US allows a free hand to India? India is a rouge state, President Joe Biden must understand through his own diplomats posted in the South Asian nations. If so then that would bring political disasters only in the region.
To counter Indian domination in South Asia, other forces/powers will likely extend hands of friendship to Pakistan which is already a regional power in its own right.
Last but not least, an article by Paul Wa on May 8 in ‘Modern Diplomacy’ has something very similar to a Quad but with a Chinese model wherein he states, “Only days after President Biden’s drive for a “Quad” in the Indo-pacific, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made his visit to China during March 22 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Paul adds: this reveals the high-level quality of the relations between the two largest Eurasian powers and their agenda has deepened across nearly all dimensions of the comprehensive strategic partnership, such as from diplomacy and defense to economic and technology.
Paul then sums up his article by saying that the growing ties between China and Russia have aimed to establish a multipolar order that dethrones the US as the global hegemon. To recall, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov too had visited Pakistan and almost offered a blank cheque to the host country. Russia is not on good terms with India at the moment. Since China and Pakistan are already closer, should this mean that Pakistan will also join the near to sure China-Russia alliance?
Perhaps much will depend on how the US takes Pakistan in its overall bilateral ties plus on the issues of Afghanistan and the much talked US forces pull out? And also attached is the Himalayan question: Can Pakistan afford to lose the US friendship? That’s all.
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