Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China Hold Inaugural Trilateral Foreign Office-Level Talks in Kunming
Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China convened their first-ever trilateral foreign office-level consultation this week in Kunming, China, according to a statement by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The dialogue was led by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Bangladesh’s Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique, and Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch also took part in the meeting via video link. She had earlier participated in the first bilateral Foreign Office Consultation with Bangladesh in over 15 years on April 17, 2025.
In her virtual remarks, Ambassador Amna Baloch commended China for initiating the trilateral mechanism. She highlighted the shared vision among the three nations for people-centric development and reaffirmed Pakistan’s interest in strengthening engagement between China and South Asian countries.
This trilateral meeting marks the first such engagement between the three neighboring countries of India—Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan—since two significant regional events: the visit of Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Prof. Mohammed Yunus to China from March 26–29, and the Indian military operation “Sindoor” in May, which reignited tensions between India and Pakistan.
During his visit to China, Prof. Yunus addressed Chinese business leaders, presenting Bangladesh as a key political and commercial partner. He emphasized Bangladesh’s strategic geographic advantage due to its extensive coastline and suggested that China could access Northeast India’s markets via Bangladesh. This statement reportedly caused friction in India-Bangladesh relations, with Indian officials citing it as a reason behind the May 17 order halting the import of Bangladeshi textiles and other specified goods through land ports into India’s northeastern states.
The trilateral consultation in Kunming took place alongside the Bangladesh–United States dialogue held on the same day, June 19, in Washington, D.C. There, Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman met U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. According to a statement from the office of Chief Adviser Prof. Mohammed Yunus, discussions covered the Rohingya refugee situation, ongoing U.S.–Bangladesh tariff negotiations, developments in South Asia, and Bangladesh’s democratic transition.
Notably, the Rohingya issue has brought renewed focus to Dr. Rahman’s proposed humanitarian corridor between Bangladesh and Myanmar’s Rakhine State. This region, encompassing Rakhine, Chin, and Sagaing, holds strategic significance for India, China, and Bangladesh. In a sign of growing international interest, the United States recently conducted a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation in Cox’s Bazar in May, involving U.S. Air Force personnel.