Foreign & Public Diplomacy

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Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman makes a significant trip to China, tensions rise as the Taliban say Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan killed civilians, and India sends junior officials to attend the funeral of Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman makes a significant trip to China, tensions rise as the Taliban say Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan killed civilians, and India sends junior officials to attend the funeral of Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Bangladesh, China Hail ‘New Era’ of Ties

Last week, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spent four days in China. The trip, which included an initial stop in Malaysia, was his first abroad since taking office in February.

At first glance, Rahman’s itinerary may not seem like a big deal. China is a top partner and donor of Bangladesh, and bilateral ties have deepened significantly over more than a decade. But the trip was more than just another high-level visit—it has potentially problematic implications for India, China’s rival and a traditional close friend of Bangladesh.

Dhaka and Beijing have called their relationship a strategic partnership since Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Beijing in July 2024, just before she was ousted amid mass protests. But Rahman’s visit produced a joint statement declaring that the strategic partnership will be elevated to “build a China-Bangladesh community with a shared future in the new era.”

Based on the raft of agreements announced during the visit, this appears to mean that the partnership is branching out into wider areas of cooperation. The countries agreed to partner on connectivity, port modernization projects, and water management. They discussed relocating Chinese factories to Bangladesh to stimulate the latter’s weak private sector.

The two sides announced a 2 2 dialogue between their defense and foreign ministries, an arrangement........

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