BRI driven by Chinese interest
The China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) doesn’t support free and open Indo-Pacific region or ensure protection of the nations’ sovereignty and international law, a top US defense official has said.
In fact, many of the BRI initiatives lead to the erosion of some principles which are promoted by the US, said Randall G Schriver, US assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs.
He was talking to journalists at a hotel in the capital, wrapping up his two-day visit to Bangladesh.
During his stay in Dhaka, he met Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi, Defense and Security Affairs Adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, Army Chief Gen Aziz Ahmed, Principal Staff Officer of Bangladesh Army Lt Gen Md Mahfuzur Rahman and some other top officials.
Schriver said enhancing security cooperation, including maritime, counterterrorism, military training exercise and cyber security, between the two countries came up during discussions with Bangladesh officials.
The US-led Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS), which the US describes as “an ironclad and enduring commitment” to a region spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian subcontinent, was also discussed prominently.
Asked about the BRI, Schriver said IPS is not a direct counter to China or BRI, but it happens to be the case that the BRI is driven by Chinese interest and it has particular impact on many countries that concerns the US.
The BRI, an ambitious programme to connect Asia with Africa and Europe, aims at improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth. As of October this year, the plan covers some 4.6 billion people from 138 countries who have a combined GDP of $29 trillion.
The US, which is now in a trade war against China, has been critical of the BRI. Some Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar, have already joined the BRI, but India and Japan, two close allies of the US, opposed the initiative. Bangladesh says it is open to joining IPS for its economic interests, not anything else.
Schriver said IPS focuses on three areas -- economics, good governance, and security -- and it seeks to protect and advance shared principles in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in which sovereign and independent nations like Bangladesh can prosper in freedom and peace.
He said he found alignments of Bangladesh and US principles in terms of IPS. In general, Bangladesh is a supporter of international laws and norms that are evident in how well the country is represented in the international forums and that it has significant contribution to UN peacekeeping missions.
Schriver said sometimes there is a narrative put out by some competitors of the US that IPS is a confrontational approach and asks countries to choose between the US and China. The IPS is actually inclusive and is designed to support the enduring principles -- sovereignty of countries regardless of its size, international law and norms, peaceful dispute resolution, and free, fair and reciprocal trade.
“If China can support the same principles, it will certainly be welcome as partner with us,” he added.
The US official said he had talks with Bangladesh officials on the progress of the two bilateral defense agreements that his country wanted to sign.
Dhaka last year sought to buy advanced military equipment, including attack helicopters, combat fighters and missile systems, from the US as part of its goal to modernise the military by 2030.
The agreements -- General Security of Military Information Agreement and Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement -- would open the aperture for closer cooperation, more sharing of information, and the sharing of sensitive technology and capabilities, Schriver said.
Asked if the US has an urgency to sign the defense deals, he said they wanted to ensure that it was done correctly and properly based on confidence of both sides. The Bangladesh officials were positive about the deals and both the sides were in discussions, he added.
“I would say that the sense of urgency relates to the fact that we want to do more, we want to advance the defense relationship…to open ways for further cooperation.”
Schriver clarified that the deals were for the sake of mutual interests in improving relationship between the two countries.
“If anybody objects to that, a neighbour or any other country in the region, that should be of interesting concern of both of our sides. We expect Bangladesh to have good relations with its neighbours. We have no issues with Bangladesh improving relations with other countries,” he added.
Asked if Washington was more engaged in improving defense relations with Dhaka at a time when the latter was not so happy at the US remarks regarding the state of democracy and human rights in Bangladesh, he said based on its foreign policy, his country would always have political engagements.
“We have to stay aligned. We are happy to have strong relationship. If at some point of time it becomes out of balance, we will recalibrate,” Schriver said.
The US official left Dhaka yesterday.
Comments