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6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
India's Operation Sindoor Triggers China-Pakistan-Bangladesh Alliance
Last Updated: This new axis is a key pillar in China's strategic playbook to isolate and contain India India's Operation Sindoor was no ordinary military action. It was a declaration of India's new doctrine to fight terrorism and its state sponsors, and was announced by no less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. The doctrine involves three salient pillars: First, India will take decisive measures to eliminate the sources of terrorism, holding both the attackers and those who support them accountable. Second, India will not yield to nuclear intimidation or 'blackmail". The doctrine makes it clear that any effort to use nuclear threats as a cover for terrorism will be countered with swift and targeted action. And third, India will hold terrorists and their backers equally responsible. The doctrine clearly states that anyone who shelters, funds, or supports terrorism will face the same repercussions as the attackers themselves. Effectively, India proclaimed before the world that any future terror attack will invite a disproportionate response that will crush Pakistan. Needless to say, this has irked many global powers. China, which has a stated policy of encircling India in order to contain it, has made some interesting manoeuvres since Operation Sindoor. Almost immediately, for example, it had invited the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan to Beijing. More recently, on June 19, China launched its latest trilateral initiative with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The meeting took place in Kunming, the capital of China's southern Yunnan province, and was attended by China's vice foreign minister Sun Weidong, Bangladesh's acting foreign secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique, and Pakistan's additional foreign secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui. Pakistan's foreign secretary Amna Baloch took part in the discussions by video link. In its statement following the meeting, China claimed: 'The three sides emphasised that China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism, not directed at any third party." This was an obvious reference to India, which has more reasons than one to feel that China's latest moves are squarely directed at it following the success of Operation Sindoor. After all, that one military operation redefined India's red lines and altered the security outlook of the subcontinent. Interestingly, China's statement on the meeting lacked critical context. For example, it said that 'Bangladesh and Pakistan are both good neighbours, good friends, and good partners of China, and important partners in high quality belt and road cooperation." The missing context, obviously, is that Bangladesh remained under Pakistani occupation until 1971, before India decided to join Dhaka's war of liberation. Yet, with Muhammad Yunus and an Islamist regime in-charge of Bangladesh now, it would appear that Dhaka is ready to forget all past Pakistani atrocities and get under one 'anti-India" umbrella. Turning India's Neighbourhood into a Battlefield This new trilateral 'mechanism" is not a random diplomatic exercise; it is a calculated move on the geopolitical chessboard. Beijing sees a window of opportunity created by several converging factors. India's newfound muscular posture, epitomised by the doctrine that underpinned Operation Sindoor, has shown that New Delhi will no longer be a passive recipient of state-sponsored terror. This forces China's all-weather ally, Pakistan, to seek a more powerful 'alliance' to shield it from Indian retribution. This new axis is a key pillar in China's strategic playbook to isolate and contain India. Pakistan has long been its proxy, a tool to bog India down in the Indian subcontinent. Bringing Bangladesh into this fold, however, is the more significant and alarming development. It represents a major diplomatic coup, turning a nation born with India's help into a partner of its principal adversaries. It is no secret that Dhaka's ties with New Delhi are at a historic low. China is exploiting the rift, promising economic largesse through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in exchange for strategic alignment. The Kunming mechanism aims to institutionalise this alignment, creating a formal bloc that can coordinate economic, diplomatic, and potentially military policies against Indian interests. This new trilateral is less about diplomacy and more about the physical encirclement of India. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) already gives Beijing access to the Arabian Sea through Gwadar. By deeply integrating Bangladesh into its sphere of influence, China gains greater access to the Bay of Bengal, effectively tightening its 'string of pearls' around India. This trilateral axis, therefore, must be seen for what it is: a concerted effort to challenge India's regional primacy, dilute its influence in its own backyard, and create a counterweight to India's growing global stature and its partnerships like the Quad. The implications of this trilateral go far beyond economic and diplomatic cooperation. The logical and most dangerous end-game of this 'mechanism" is its transformation into a full-fledged security alliance aimed squarely at India. China already supplies most of Pakistan's advanced weaponry, effectively arming it to the teeth. The troubling question for New Delhi is: what if Beijing begins doing the same with Bangladesh? A China-funded and equipped Bangladeshi military, hostile to India, would transform the long-dreaded two-front threat into a nightmarish three-front strategic encirclement. This strategy of surrounding a rival with hostile proxies is a carbon copy of another playbook—Iran's attempt to build an 'axis of resistance" to choke Israel. The world is now seeing how that policy has ended up putting West Asia on fire. Pushed to the brink, Israel has systematically obliterated Iran's axis of resistance and dealt a crippling blow to Tehran's nuclear programme itself. Does China truly wish for a similar fate in the subcontinent? Does it want to see its own strategic investments and regional ambitions go up in flames along with those of Pakistan and Bangladesh? Because Beijing must be under no illusion. After Operation Sindoor, India has made its red lines clear. There are no lengths to which India will not go if its core interests and very existence are threatened by an axis of totalitarian countries like China, Pakistan and an increasingly radicalised Bangladesh. By attempting to turn India's neighbourhood into a battlefield, China is not just playing with fire; it is risking a conflagration that could consume the entire region—with consequences that even Beijing cannot control. About the Author Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra is a producer and video journalist at Network18. He is enthusiastic about and writes on both national affairs as well as geopolitics. tags : bangladesh China Operation Sindoor pakistan Straight Talk view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 24, 2025, 15:26 IST News opinion Straight Talk | India's Operation Sindoor Triggers China-Pakistan-Bangladesh Alliance Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Print
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
Beijing hosts 1st Pakistan-China-Bangladesh trilateral, says ‘not directed at any third party'
According to official statements from both the Pakistani and Chinese foreign ministries, the three countries committed to deepening ties through 'mutual trust and good-neighborly principles'. A working group will be established to implement cooperation projects and follow up on the agreements reached. The high-level meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Acting Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Ruhul Alam Siddique, and Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, who participated virtually. New Delhi: Beijing Wednesday hosted the first ever trilateral meeting between Bangladesh, China and Pakistan in Kunming city in the Chinese province of Yunnan. In a statement issued later, the Chinese foreign ministry said, in an apparent reference to India, the 'three sides emphasized that China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism, not directed at any third party'. Details of the agreements reached are still unclear at this point. The discussions focused on strengthening trilateral collaboration across a range of sectors, including trade and investment, agriculture, digital economy, marine sciences, environmental protection, education, green infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges. 'The Foreign Secretary expressed Pakistan's desire for a deeper engagement between China and South Asian countries. Expressing satisfaction at the upward trajectory of bilateral ties, the Foreign Secretary conveyed Pakistan's readiness to work with China and Bangladesh to enhance ties in trade and investment, agriculture, digital economy,' said the readout issued by the Pakistan foreign ministry. China's role as convenor of this trilateral format also signals Beijing's intent to reshape regional order through alternative multilateral formats to counterbalance India's influence in the region and advance its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and regional influence with more flexible, cooperative frameworks. 'Sun Weidong stated that the Chinese government is committed to building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries. Bangladesh and Pakistan are both good neighbors, good friends, and good partners of China, and important partners in high quality Belt and Road cooperation. As significant members of the Global South and key countries in the region, all three countries face the mission of national revitalization and modernization, and all require a peaceful and stable environment. Cooperation among China, Pakistan and Bangladesh aligns with the common interests of the three peoples, and can contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity,' the Chinese foreign ministry said. The meeting comes amid a significant realignment in South Asian geopolitics. Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed high-level engagements in April, after a 15-year diplomatic freeze. The two countries held a Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) earlier this year. A Bangladeshi military delegation also made a rare visit to Pakistan in January, meeting with Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, while Bangladesh's Navy participated in a Pakistani-led maritime exercise off the coast of Karachi in February. These moves come as Dhaka's interim administration, led by Muhammad Yunus, takes a more open stance towards Pakistan, in contrast with the historically tense ties under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Yunus has criticized India for harbouring Hasina and has formally requested her extradition—a request to which India has yet to formally respond. Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin in April met with his Pakistani counterpart and raised long-standing grievances, including a demand for a formal apology from Pakistan for the 1971 war atrocities during Bangladesh's independence struggle. In a broader diplomatic context, Sun also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the trilateral meeting in Kunming, including with Afghanistan's Acting Deputy Prime Minister Haji Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: New Delhi-Dhaka must reimagine ties as 'strategic necessity for collective growth'—Bangladesh envoy
