THE CHINA-BANGLADESH RELATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

Abstract

The nature of the China-Bangladesh relation poses both challenges and
opportunities for the United States. The problem is to determine the nature
of this bilateral relation, how it serves the interests of both nations, and the
implications for the foreign policy of the United States. This problem cannot
be understood without also understand the nature of the India-Bangladesh
relation as well as the national interests of the United States. For this research,
the theoretical framework is the realist theory of international relations, primarily
as described by Hans Morganthau in “Politics Among the Nations” (Morgenthau
2005). While the author agrees with the distinguished speaker’s opinion that the
“realist understanding is the weakest way of looking at South Asia,” (Anonymous
1 2017) this paper looks at the relations of Bangladesh with great powers, the
United States and China, which relations are susceptible to the explanatory
power of realism. Bangladesh is not a powerful country in the realist sense. It
has neither great natural resources nor a great industrial base. It is not wealthy
and its infrastructure is poor. However, Bangladesh excels in three areas of
national power – her geography, her population and her national character. The
geographic location of Bangladesh ensures her importance to her neighbors, her
population means that there are not just the hands but also the brains needed
to develop the country, and her national character – the people’s and leaders’
insistence on maintaining sovereignty and independence – means that powerful
nations like China and India cannot simply dictate their relations with Bangladesh.
The national power generated by the combination of geography, population and
national character of Bangladesh means that Bangladesh is in a strong position
in its relations with China and India and the rest of the world. The realization
of Vision 2041 and of the Chinese Dream will require cooperation, not conflict.
Both nations, one of which at first glance appears weak and poor and the other
strong and rich, have a shared interest in the success of the other.