From June 22nd to 26th 2026, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid an official visit to China, where President Xi Jinping and National People’s Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji met him. Premier Li Qiang also held separate talks with the Bangladeshi leader.
This was Prime Minister Rahman’s first overseas trip since taking office. Although China was his second destination on this trip, it was the first major power he visited as Prime Minister — a symbolic significance that speaks for itself.
Through this visit, the China-Bangladesh Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership was elevated into a commitment to build a China-Bangladesh Community of Shared Future in the New Era. This marks only the second such “Community of Shared Future” China has established in South Asia, after its community with Pakistan.
Since China put forward the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, South Asian countries participating in the initiative have exhibited three patterns: Pakistan’s Community of Shared Future model; the “balanced cooperation” model adopted by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and others; and the “resistance and hedging” model pursued by yet another country.
China-Bangladesh BRI cooperation has now also advanced towards building a Community of Shared Future, demonstrating the BRI’s appeal among regional countries. Some Bangladeshi scholars even argue that conditions for building such a partnership in Bangladesh are more advantageous than in Pakistan, given Bangladesh’s domestic political stability.
Assessments by prominent Bangladeshi scholars of Prime Minister Rahman’s visit to China indicate that the Bangladeshi side is broadly satisfied with the outcomes. The two sides also agreed to explore the establishment of a diplomatic and defence “2+2” dialogue mechanism — a sign that bilateral political mutual trust and strategic cooperation have reached an unprecedented level.
On issues of concern to Bangladesh — including industrialisation and socio-economic development, regional connectivity and direct China-Bangladesh connectivity, integrated water resource management and comprehensive governance of the Teesta River, and people-to-people exchanges as well as cooperation in science, education, culture, and health — China expressed strong support. Bangladesh expressed its desire to further strengthen security and defense cooperation with China, while China stated that it would firmly support Bangladesh in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The Joint Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh is an important document in the history of China-Bangladesh diplomatic relations — a document of mutual commitment and a result of win-win cooperation. Of course, Bangladesh may face pressure from other major powers as a result, and voices to this effect have already appeared in some international media over the past couple of days. Yet the willingness to bear such pressure in order to build a China-Bangladesh Community of Shared Future in the New Era with China precisely demonstrates that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government led by Prime Minister Rahman has made a genuine and resolute commitment to “Bangladesh before all.”
This is because it understands that only with China’s assistance can Bangladesh achieve industrialisation and modernisation. It also reflects the patriotic passion and keen awareness of global developments among Bangladesh’s intellectual elite, who fully recognise the inspirational significance and practical relevance of China’s path to modernisation for Bangladesh and other Global South countries.
However, Bangladeshi friends also need to recognise that China’s commitments and assistance alone are not sufficient.
China is the only major country to have achieved industrialisation since World War II and is currently the country with the most complete and comprehensive industrial system in the world. China’s industrialisation was the result of a planned and methodical effort actively driven by the Communist Party of China (CPC): first, developing major heavy industrial sectors with the assistance of the Soviet Union; then, after Reform and Opening-Up, proactively integrating into the US-led globalisation process and absorbing the transfer of global value chains, industrial chains, and supply chains. The Soviet Union and Reform and Opening-Up played important roles in China’s industrialisation, but neither the Soviet Union nor the United States was the decisive factor. For a country to achieve industrialisation, external forces serve only as a catalyst — a nation’s own efforts are the most critical factor.
During this visit, Prime Minister Rahman also toured the Museum of the Communist Party of China. The sustained and rapid growth of China’s economy since Reform and Opening-Up is primarily attributable to the fact that, under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people achieved a combination of people’s ownership of state power — the people being masters of their own country — and law-based governance.
The CPC’s long-term governance has ensured prolonged social stability and policy continuity. China’s Five-Year Plans have been carried forward by successive governments over more than 70 years, adhering consistently to a single long-term blueprint — unlike in Western countries, where changes in government bring policy reversals and a lack of continuity.
As long as Bangladesh maintains long-term political stability and policy continuity, it will certainly be able to achieve industrialisation and modernisation. And as long as the Bangladeshi government is determined to complete certain strategically significant major projects of vital national importance, China will do its best to provide support.
That said, Bangladeshi friends must also recognise that pursuing industrialisation and developing modern industries cannot be divorced from national realities.
Aspiring only to develop advanced industries and import cutting-edge technologies without regard for the country’s actual conditions is inadvisable, because what Bangladesh needs most urgently right now is to resolve the employment problem for the majority of its young people.
Prime Minister Rahman’s first overseas visit not only demonstrates “Bangladesh before all” but also signals Bangladesh’s diplomatic priorities. South Asian regional economic integration has long been mired in stagnation; consequently, Bangladesh will pursue a ‘Look East Policy’ to achieve its economic development goals, strengthen cooperation with China and Myanmar, build the China-Myanmar-Bangladesh Economic Corridor, and establish direct connectivity with China.
At the same time, Bangladesh aims to deepen cooperation with ASEAN, join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and thus integrate into the Asia-centred production and supply chain system anchored by China. In addition, Bangladesh aspires to become a member of BRICS. This series of diplomatic designs reflects the urgent desire of Bangladesh’s intellectual elite to truly realise the dream of “Sonar Bangla” (Golden Bengal) under the leadership of Prime Minister Rahman and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.●