New Delhi: In a significant development for South Asian geopolitics, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh held their inaugural trilateral meeting on June 19, 2025, in Kunming, the capital of China’s southern Yunnan province. This landmark foreign office-level consultation, hosted by China, marks the second trilateral dialogue initiated by Beijing in India’s neighborhood, following a similar meeting with Pakistan and Afghanistan last month. The meeting signals China’s growing influence in South Asia, raising concerns for India while opening new avenues for regional cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, and the digital economy.
Key Attendees and Structure of the Trilateral Meeting
The Kunming meeting was attended by high-ranking officials from all three nations. Leading the discussions was China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, alongside Bangladesh’s Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique and Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia Pacific) Imran Ahmed Siddiqui. Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch participated in the initial phase of the talks via video link, bringing her perspective from the first Pakistan-Bangladesh Foreign Office Consultation in one and a half decades, held on April 17, 2025.
According to a press release from China’s Foreign Ministry, the officials engaged in extensive discussions aimed at strengthening trilateral cooperation. They agreed to establish a working group to follow up on the ideas and agreements discussed, ensuring continuity and practical implementation of the outcomes. The meeting was described as “highly fruitful” by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun during a daily news briefing in Beijing on June 23, 2025.
Objectives and Outcomes of the Trilateral Dialogue
The trilateral consultation focused on advancing cooperation based on principles of good-neighborliness, equality, mutual trust, openness, inclusiveness, common development, and win-win cooperation. The three nations emphasized that their collaboration is not directed at any third party and adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism. The primary goal, as articulated by Sun Weidong, is to promote economic development and improve people’s livelihoods across the region.
Key areas identified for cooperation include:
- Industry and Trade: Strengthening economic ties through joint projects and trade agreements.
- Maritime Affairs: Exploring opportunities in maritime trade and connectivity.
- Water Resources and Climate Change: Addressing shared environmental challenges.
- Agriculture: Enhancing food security and agricultural innovation.
- Human Resources, Health, and Education: Building capacity through training and knowledge exchange.
- Digital Economy: Promoting technological collaboration and innovation.
- Culture and Youth: Fostering cultural ties and youth engagement through exchanges and programs.
- Think Tanks: Encouraging intellectual collaboration to support policy development.
Sun Weidong highlighted that the cooperation aligns with the common interests of the peoples of China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, contributing to regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity. The three sides expressed their commitment to holding further meetings to build on this initial dialogue and explore practical steps for future collaboration.
China’s Growing Influence in South Asia
The Kunming meeting underscores China’s increasing diplomatic and economic influence in South Asia, particularly through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Both Pakistan and Bangladesh are key partners in the BRI, with significant projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) running through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Chinese investments in Bangladesh’s infrastructure, including potential access to key ports. Sun Weidong emphasized that both nations are “good neighbors, good friends, and good partners of China” and important contributors to high-quality BRI cooperation.
This trilateral mechanism follows China’s earlier dialogue with Pakistan and Afghanistan, signaling Beijing’s strategy to cultivate a ring of friendly states along India’s periphery. The emergence of such platforms is seen as a move to establish parallel regionalism, potentially diminishing the relevance of India-led groupings like the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
Implications for India: Key Concerns
The China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral meeting raises several strategic concerns for India, particularly in the context of its “Neighbourhood First” policy. These concerns include:
- Expansion of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Projects:
- The CPEC, a flagship BRI project, runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a region claimed by India. This has been a long-standing point of contention, as India views CPEC as a violation of its sovereignty.
- Bangladesh’s growing involvement in BRI projects, including potential Chinese access to its ports, poses a national security threat to India, particularly given the proximity of these ports to India’s northeastern states.
- China’s String of Pearls Policy:
- China’s strategy to encircle India through strategic outposts in the Indian Ocean, known as the “String of Pearls,” is a significant concern. China has secured access to key ports such as Gwadar in Pakistan and Hambantota in Sri Lanka. Potential access to Bangladeshi ports could further tighten this strategic encirclement, challenging India’s maritime security.
- Parallel Regionalism:
- The emergence of China-led trilateral mechanisms could undermine India’s influence in regional groupings like BIMSTEC, which includes Bangladesh but excludes China and Pakistan. These alternate platforms may reduce the relevance of India-led initiatives, creating a vacuum in regional leadership that China is actively filling.
- Erosion of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy:
- India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy emphasizes friendly and mutually beneficial relations with its neighbors. The growing alignment of Pakistan and Bangladesh with China signals a potential erosion of India’s influence in its immediate neighborhood, complicating its regional diplomacy.
Bangladesh’s Strategic Positioning
The trilateral meeting comes in the context of Bangladesh’s evolving foreign policy under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Prof. Mohammed Yunus. During his visit to China from March 26-29, 2025, Prof. Yunus positioned Bangladesh as a key political and commercial partner for China. He highlighted Bangladesh’s long coastline as a strategic advantage, suggesting that China could access the market of northeast India through Bangladesh. This statement strained Delhi-Dhaka relations, particularly after India imposed restrictions on textile apparel imports from Bangladesh and halted the entry of certain products into its northeastern states on May 17, 2025, following the “Operation Sindoor” clash between India and Pakistan.
The Kunming meeting coincided with a Bangladesh-United States dialogue on June 19, 2025, in Washington, D.C., where National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman discussed the Rohingya issue, tariff negotiations, and South Asian developments with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. Dr. Rahman’s advocacy for a humanitarian corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar’s Rakhine province, a region of strategic interest to India, China, and the U.S., further highlights Bangladesh’s growing role in regional geopolitics.
Pakistan’s Perspective and Regional Ambitions
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, in her remarks during the trilateral meeting, commended China for convening the inaugural dialogue. She emphasized the shared aspirations of the three nations for “people-centric development” and expressed Pakistan’s desire for deeper engagement between China and South Asian countries. Baloch highlighted the positive momentum in Pakistan-China bilateral relations and Islamabad’s readiness to collaborate with both China and Bangladesh in trade, investment, agriculture, and the digital economy.
The trilateral mechanism aligns with Pakistan’s broader strategy to strengthen ties with China, particularly through CPEC, while also rebuilding relations with Bangladesh after a 15-year gap in high-level bilateral consultations. The participation of Additional Foreign Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui in Kunming underscores Pakistan’s commitment to this new regional framework.
China’s Vision for Regional Cooperation
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong articulated China’s vision of building a “community with a shared future” with its neighbors. He emphasized that China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, as significant members of the Global South, share the mission of national revitalization and modernization, requiring a peaceful and stable regional environment. The trilateral cooperation, according to Sun, is designed to contribute to these goals while promoting economic development and improving livelihoods.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated that the meeting was a success in four key aspects, though specific details were not disclosed. The establishment of a working group to implement the agreements reached in Kunming signals China’s intent to institutionalize this trilateral framework and ensure tangible outcomes.
Way Forward for India
To counter China’s growing influence in its neighborhood, India must adopt a proactive and multifaceted strategy:
- Strengthen Bilateral Ties: Prioritize friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all neighbors, particularly Bangladesh, to counterbalance China’s outreach.
- Bolster Regional Groupings: Enhance the relevance of BIMSTEC and other India-led initiatives to maintain leadership in regional cooperation.
- Address Security Concerns: Monitor and respond to China’s expanding presence in the Indian Ocean, particularly through strategic ports, to safeguard national security.
- Engage in Constructive Diplomacy: Deepen engagement with the U.S. and other partners to address shared concerns, such as the Rohingya crisis and Myanmar’s strategic importance.
Conclusion
The first China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral meeting in Kunming marks a pivotal moment in South Asian geopolitics, reflecting China’s strategic ambition to deepen its influence in India’s neighborhood. While the dialogue promises economic and developmental benefits for the three nations, it poses significant challenges for India’s regional leadership and security interests. As China continues to expand its Belt and Road Initiative and cultivate new regional platforms, India must recalibrate its “Neighbourhood First” policy to maintain its influence and ensure a stable and cooperative South Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What was the purpose of the China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral meeting held in Kunming?
The inaugural trilateral meeting, held on June 19, 2025, in Kunming, China, aimed to strengthen cooperation among China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in areas such as trade, investment, agriculture, digital economy, maritime affairs, water resources, climate change, health, education, culture, and youth. The meeting focused on promoting economic development and improving livelihoods based on principles of good-neighborliness, equality, mutual trust, and win-win cooperation.
2. Who attended the trilateral meeting in Kunming?
The meeting 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 participated in the initial phase of the discussions via video link.
3. How does this trilateral meeting impact India’s strategic interests?
The meeting raises concerns for India, including the expansion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, China’s “String of Pearls” policy to encircle India with strategic ports, the emergence of parallel regional platforms that may undermine India-led groupings like BIMSTEC, and the erosion of India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy due to China’s growing influence in South Asia.
4. What are the key outcomes of the Kunming trilateral meeting?
The three nations agreed to establish a working group to follow up on the discussed ideas and agreements. They committed to advancing cooperation in multiple sectors, including industry, trade, agriculture, and digital economy, and emphasized that their collaboration is not directed at any third party. Further meetings are planned to explore practical steps for future cooperation.
5. Why is China initiating trilateral dialogues in India’s neighborhood? ilateral meeting?
China is cultivating a ring of friendly states in South Asia to enhance its regional influence through initiatives like the BRI. The trilateral meeting with Pakistan and Bangladesh, following a similar dialogue with Pakistan and Afghanistan, reflects China’s strategy to promote parallel regionalism, deepen economic ties, and create a stable environment for national revitalization and modernization, while potentially countering India’s regional leadership.
