Ms Rabeya Bosri Chandni
Ms Rabeya Bosri Chandni is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
DOI: http://DOI Number
Abstract
Defence cooperation is considered the cornerstone of the Sino-Bangladesh relationship. China meets around 74 per cent of Bangladesh’s weapons demand, and conversely, it accounts for 20 per cent of Beijing’s arms exports. A series of regional developments, including Sri Lanka’s Hambantota crisis, the Sino-Indian border confrontations of 2017 and 2020, Beijing and New Delhi’s respective positions during Myanmar’s 2017 Rohingya crisis, India’s concerns over Bangladesh’s submarine acquisition in 2016, and China’s 2021 warning to Dhaka against joining the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), together illustrate the complex set of factors shaping Sino-Bangladesh defence cooperation. In reality, this cooperation has become strong, necessitating an inquiry into the underlying facts of continuing this relation despite Beijing’s position against Dhaka’s interest in several burning issues. Drawing on primary and secondary data and informed by Knutsen’s model of international defence cooperation, this study identifies defence and security concerns, economic considerations, and military requirements as key factors underpinning Bangladesh’s sustained defence cooperation with Beijing amid rising regional tensions. As a qualitative inquiry, the paper also traces the historical evolution, contemporary trajectory, and emerging challenges of Sino–Bangladesh defence cooperation.
First Published
December 25, 2025
How to Cite
Ms Rabeya Bosri Chandni, “Sino-Bangladesh Defence Cooperation Amid Regional Tensions,” Regional Studies 43, no.2 (Winter 2025): 3-39, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/sino-bangladesh-defence-cooperation-amid-regional-tensions/
Issue
Volume 43, Issue 2