Tag : Bangladesh

Beijing: Of late, China has raised security concerns in the Indian Ocean region with strategic military sales like submarines to Bangladesh and Pakistan. China contends to be a key defence exporter to many Asian and Southeast Asian countries in Indias neighbourhood. Many of these countries, who are unable to acquire expensive military technology from other reliable sources, procure seemingly inexpensive weapons and systems from the Chinese market. To this effect, the Bangladesh military imported two Type-035G submarines of 1970s vintage and Type-053H frigates from China, with its import dependence on Chinese hardware touching nearing 85 percent. Myanmar, after the military coup in 2021 and sanctions by the West, has turned towards China for procuring majority of its military hardware. Pakistan is shifting its reliance to cheap Chinese hardware with its procurement of Yuan class submarines, J-10/JF-17 fighter's aircraft and Type-054 stealth warships. Sri Lanka has been given warships and military aircraft (Harbins, J-7) in recent times. Nepal is also being aggressively pursued by China in the recent years for procuring Chinese military hardware with NPR 2.5 billion grant for the Nepalese Army. Chinese development of overseas bases in the region is also bothering Indian military planners. Commissioning of the Djibouti military base in 2017, development of Gwadar port in Pakistan and taking over of Hambantota port in Sri Lanka gives them a credible infrastructure to position military assets in the region. The new entrant in this club is Pekua port in Bangladesh. China plans to develop this port and offer it for berthing and maintenance of submarines given to Bangladesh. However, its real intent might be to establish a transit base ...