China woos Bangladesh; What is China planning against India?

China offered an enormous trade boost to Bangladesh by announcing tariff exemption for 97 percent of Bangladeshi products from July 1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh announced that 97 percent of items would exempt from Chinese tariffs. The announcement came after one month after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed to upgrade their bilateral relations during the pandemic COVID-19.

China and Bangladesh trade policy

As a part of the government’s economic diplomacy and, therefore, the outcome of the exchange of letters between China and Bangladesh, the Tariff Commission of the Chinese State Council issued a notice on allowing zero treatment to 97 percent of tariff products of Bangladesh. With this announcement, a complete of 8,256 Bangladeshi products will come under the 97 percent of products that might exempt from the tariff. 

At present, 3095 Bangladeshi products enjoy duty-free access to the Chinese market under the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA). With the new announcement, 97 percent of Bangladeshi products will join this zero-tariff club from Dominion Day that raised the numbers of Bangladeshi products with zero duty access to the Chinese market to 256.

China influenced Nepal

On Saturday, the Lower House of Nepal’s Parliament unanimously passed the historic Second Constitution Amendment Bill guaranteeing legal status for the updated political map of Nepal, which includes India’s territories in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district.

The voting in the Pratinidhi Sabha (House of Representatives) came after day-long discussions, which included praise from co-chair of the Nepal Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” for the Nepalese democracy, which, he said, is reversing centuries of diplomatic humiliation.

Nepal India dispute after update of Nepal’s political map

The territorial dispute began when Nepal claims the land to the east of river Kali, which forms the country’s western border. As per Kathmandu’s understanding, the river originates from Limpiyadhura in the higher Himalayas, accessing it to a triangular-shaped land defined by Limpiyadhura-Lipulekh and Kalapani. India opposes the notion and claims the river’s origin is much further down, which reduces Nepal’s territorial demand.

China’s planning against India

China wants to build a road on the India Nepal disputed land for facilitating trade with Nepal. However, we all know that China is a country that always wants to increase its border limits and want to capture its neighboring country’s land. China has a dispute on land from many neighboring countries like Indonesia, Japan, Russia, India, Tibet, Bhutan, and others. Assumptions are made that soon, China will arrogate Nepal, or if the road’s construction becomes successful, it will come near the Indian borders. In both situations, China can enter and cause infiltration near the Indian border.

China disputes with other countries

As we mentioned above that China has land disputes with almost every country. Here’s the list of China’s conflicts from other countries.

Bhutan

The last deadlock between India and China was over Beijing’s encroachment and construction projects at Doklam, at the India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction, for 73 days. China had backed out as a part of the peace deal between India and China but consistent with multiple reports, was back at its game. There are similar encroachments, construction projects, and cases where Chinese patrols have terrified Bhutanese graziers from accessing grazing lands within Bhutan territory and in other sectors of China-Bhutan borders.

South China Sea

China has been trying to get complete control over the resource-rich South China Sea. China’s claim to the waters supported “historic rights” was turned down by a 2016 arbitration ruling, but that hasn’t stopped China from energizing up efforts to militarise the zone.

That South China sea is among the world’s busiest maritime trade routes that are transit for annual trade worth $ 3.5 trillion hints that this territorial claim impacts not just its smaller neighbors but also a more significant number of nations.

To be sure, China has an island and maritime border disputes with Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam within the South China Sea and its extension. The differences include islands, reefs, banks, and other features within the Paracel Islands (Vietnam), South China Sea, including Spratly Islands (with Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan), Scarborough Shoal (Philippines), and Gulf of Tonkin (Vietnam). Also, China claims the whole of Taiwan and its controlled islands as its territory.

Eastern China Sea

China has Exclusive Economic Zone disputes with South Korea, North Korea, and Japan within the East China Sea (South Korea/Japan) and the Yellow Sea (North Koren/South Korea). Additionally, China claims the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands of Japan. The world again sees an enormous intra-region, and global trade and Chinese claim would spill over the region and affect more countries beyond the immediate area.

Nepal

Around the same time that Kathmandu had questioned the map issued by India last year, Nepal’s Survey Department had accused China of getting encroached Nepali land in northern districts of Humla, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, and Sankhuwasabha. There have been protests against China in Nepal after this survey report leaked. Still, Nepal’s Communist Party didn’t surge the border dispute with China that has been giving billions of investments in rupees to the country and kept the spotlight firmly on India’s map instead. China has even initiated an exercise to live the peak of Everest and installed a telecommunication system to supply 5G services. In May, the state-run China Global Television Network claimed Everest as a part of China during a tweet but deleted the post after being questioned and disapproved.

China and India dispute

The most violent encounter that happened between the Indian and Chinese armies, arrayed along a disputed border high within the Himalayas, didn’t involve any gunfire exchange.

Instead, soldiers from the two nuclear-armed nations contrived weapons from what they could find in the desolate landscape that was 14,000 feet above sea level.

Wielding fence posts and clubs wrapped in wire, they squared off under a moonlit sky along jagged cliffs soaring above the Galwan Valley, combating for hours in pitched hand-to-hand battles.

20 Indian soldiers and 43 Chinese soldiers died in the dispute. This has led to boycotting Chinese products and services. Also, India is planning to take strict action against China. Russia, Australia, and America everyone is ready to help India in the land dispute of India-China.