21-04-2025
Yunus initiates ‘mango diplomacy' in bid to strengthen ties with China. 50-yr water sharing plan soon
During the meeting with Yao, Yunus said, 'I'll send a basket of fresh mangoes to President Xi myself,' as Bangladesh looks to strengthen ties with China. Yunus travelled to China at the end of last month, before attending the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit in Bangkok, where he had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
'Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus met with the Chinese Ambassador Mr Yao Wen at the State Guest House Jamuna on Saturday… Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to launching a long-term, 50-year master plan on water management, including work on the Teesta River system,' read the statement by the chief adviser's office.
New Delhi: Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh's interim government Sunday initiated Dhaka's version of 'mango diplomacy' with Beijing, while reaffirming the two nations' keen interest in launching a 50-year master plan on water management.
As tensions rose between New Delhi and Dhaka, Bangladesh's interim leader chose China for his official state visit, during which Yunus called for more Chinese investments in Bangladesh, to make the South Asian country an extension of Beijing's economy, highlighting its position as the 'only guardian' of the ocean in the region, and saying that India's Northeast is 'landlocked'.
'Our top priority now is to move forward with the plans we discussed during the China visit…We want to make sure momentum is not lost,' Yunus told the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh working with China on a water management plan, especially on the Teesta river, is of strategic concern for India. The two countries had almost reached an agreement on the sharing of Teesta waters in 2011, but due to Indian domestic concerns, the deal had fallen through. About half a decade ago, Sheikh Hasina, the now ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, was also considering a $1 billion project with China to transform the river. However, the focus for Dhaka at the time was a water sharing deal with New Delhi.
Ties between India and Bangladesh cratered sharply over last week, with India withdrawing the transshipment facility for Bangladeshi goods to use Indian land ports, ports and airports to export goods to third countries. New Delhi cited congestion at its facilities as the main reason to rescind this facility for Dhaka.
A person familiar with the matter pointed out that the withdrawal of the facility comes after a spate of decisions taken by Dhaka to impact trade between the two countries, specifically the ban on imports of Indian yarn announced last week by Bangladesh, the recommended closure of three land ports, and the introduction of more physical verification of Indian imports by the Benapole Customs House.
As the diplomatic chill continues, Yunus has also been seeking Beijing's aid in the development of Dhaka's healthcare sector. Healthcare space has been a cornerstone of India-Bangladesh ties.
'The Chinese side reaffirmed their commitment to building a 1,000-bed hospital in Bangladesh, as initially proposed during the China visit. They also highlighted ongoing support in establishing a specialised burn unit in Chittagong,' said the statement released by Yunus's office. Beijing will also 'expedite' medical visas for Bangladeshis, given the perception that such visas have been harder to come by for Bangladeshi nationals to travel to India for medical purposes.
Yunus's initiation of 'mango diplomacy' comes roughly 70 years after India first sent eight mango saplings to Beijing, as a part of New Delhi's own efforts to sweeten ties between the two countries. Yunus's efforts also mirror Pakistan's 'mango diplomacy' of the 1960s with China.
While India-China ties have remained complicated despite the 'mango diplomacy' of the 1950s, Islamabad's gift of the golden fruit created a positive frenzy in Beijing in 1968.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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