Bangladesh Eyes Greater Chinese Role in South Asia Beyond Climate Diplomacy

Bangladesh’s latest call for a regional climate platform that includes China marks a turning point in South Asia’s geopolitical alignment. While presented as a cooperative framework to tackle environmental threats, the underlying message is far more strategic: Dhaka is quietly advancing a new multilateral order where China plays a central role not only as a development partner but as a counterbalance to India’s dominance. The proposal, made at the 9th China–South Asia Exposition in Kunming, comes at a time when India’s regional diplomacy is under growing strain, and China is deepening its economic and infrastructural roots across the subcontinent. Bangladesh, long a bridge state between competing powers, is now asserting itself as a diplomatic convenor capable of shaping the regional agenda. What may seem like an environmental initiative is, in truth, a carefully crafted move toward realigning South Asia’s future economically, diplomatically, and strategically. Climate Change as an Entry Point