Bangladesh wants to avoid falling into Beijing's sphere of influence

Bangladesh will not co-fund a late-stage domestic trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech, the country's health minister Zahid Maleque said on Tuesday.

His comments come weeks after Sinovac asked the Bangladesh government to co-fund the domestic trials, which sources said would cost roughly $7 million.

Bangladesh media quoted Health Minister Zahid Maleque as saying that Sinovac should run the trial with their own money because that's what they said they would do when they had sought approval.

"(And) that's why they were given permission," he said.

"A country's job is done when it approves the clinical test of a vaccine. They never asked for co-funding when they sought approval for the trial. This is not a contract we have with the Chinese government. This is a private company and we cannot have a co-funding (arrangement) with a private company."

On the other hand, The Bangladesh government has closed the development of a deep-sea port at Sonadia Island off the country’s southeastern coast.

With this, the high-profile project on the Bay of Bengal, which would have additionally improved China's monetary and key aspirations in the Indian Ocean locale, has been given a conventional internment.

This is a geopolitical victory for India and its allies because Bangladesh will now build a deep-sea port. Not with the Chinese, but with the Japanese.

In fact, the work has already begun, the deep-sea port will be constructed at Matarbari, which is 25 kilometers away from Sonadia. The port will be funded by Japan and it is expected to be completed by 2025.

With this move, Bangladesh has shown that it won't be dictated by China. It will accept Chinese investment on its own terms and not expose itself to the debt trap this has been the pattern.

China has moved aggressively to finance projects in Bangladesh and Dhaka has borrowed cautiously.

Because Bangladesh doesn't want to meet the fate of Sri Lanka and Pakistan and also wants to avoid a diplomatic battle with New Delhi.

China has been trying surround the Indian subcontinent with a network of ports. Bangladesh was a part of that plan. While India still needs to do more to neutralise the string of pearls threat.

For now, it seems like Dhaka wants to avoid falling into China's sphere of influence.

(With inputs from agencies)