Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan’s recent warning about a potential China-Pakistan-Bangla – desh convergence is more than caution from the country’s top military brass; it is a flashing yellow light on South Asia’s strategic dashboard. While Dhaka still claims to pursue a carefully balanced foreign policy, Beijing’s widening footprint ~ through ports, power plants and defence deals ~ pushes regional alignments into unprecedented territory. Islamabad is already deeply entwined with Chinese supply chains, and Bangladesh’s gradual tilt, driven by an economic calculus, could complete a triangle encircling In dia on three flanks. General Chauhan delivered his assessment against a backdrop of mounting economic fragility across the Indian Ocean littoral.

Nations from Sri Lanka to the Maldives juggle ballooning debts, often owed to China. In Colombo’s case, default triggered political unrest until an Indian rescue line bought precious breathing space. Yet such interventions must now compete with assertive debt diplomacy models that swap quick liquidity for long-term leverage,........

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