China has no plan for military base in Bangladesh, US's claim is baseless: Ambassador

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has stated that China has no plans to establish a military base in Bangladesh.

He made the remark on Wednesday (May 28) during an event held in Dhaka.

Ambassador Yao Wen dismissed the claims by the US Defense Intelligence Agency as entirely baseless, stating that Beijing consistently prioritizes maintaining friendly relations.

The US Defense Intelligence Agency recently released a report on global threat assessments, claiming that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) intends to establish military bases in several countries, including Bangladesh, as part of its efforts to expand global influence. The report also stated that China is interested in developing infrastructure in 16 countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Thailand.

In response to a question about the report during the event in Dhaka, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen said, “The US report is not true. It’s unclear what information it is based on.”

He furtheerr said, “None of the claims in the report are accurate. We maintain friendly relations with countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Myanmar. We neither seek a military presence in these countries nor have any such plans. I have no idea what kind of information the US used to compile that report.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said he has not come across any such report.