China, with its enormous economic and technical supports, is one of the largest development partners of Bangladesh. Especially, the country is highly involved in developing Bangladesh’s infrastructure sector and improving the capacity of existing infrastructure. However, the Bangladesh-China development partnership has great geopolitical and economic implications in South Asia.
China’s policy and involvement regarding Bangladesh’s seaport development projects have multiple ramifications. From the Chinese viewpoint, it is a part of China’s Maritime Silk Road – which is not appreciated by the regional power India. Undoubtedly, China’s wider access and control over the ports along the Bay of Bengal coastline will secure its maritime route and smooth energy supply. On the contrary, it will threaten the regional strategic interests of India. If China succeeds, the Bay of Bengal coastline infrastructure development will reshape the balance of power of the entire Bay of Bengal region where India enjoys domination.
Meanwhile, China has already secured its position in different ports in the region: Kyaukpyu, Myanmar; Hambantota, Sri Lanka; Gwadar, Pakistan. Among the coastal countries in the South Asia, Bangladesh is the sole sovereign nation where China does not have complete authority over any of its four sea ports: Chittagong, Mongla, Payra and Matarbari—under construction.
It is worth mentioning that India is playing the key role to develop Mongla sea port, while China failed to build deep sea port in Sonadia. China was about to have the contract of constructing Sonadia deep sea port in 2014. Many believe, India—along with US and Japan—interfered to curb China’s influence and consequently, Bangladesh dropped the project. India sees it a vital geostrategic gain in Bangladesh against China.
Later, in constructing Payra seaport China even could not secure its dominance. On the one hand, India is in fear of being encircled by China in the sea—if China manages to control over any of Bangladesh’s seaports. On the other hand, China is in fear of being vulnerable to its rival India for trade and energy supply.
Under this circumstance, both India and China are competing to score success against each other in Bangladesh. In this regard, Bangladesh wants to accommodate both India and China in Payra sea port development. As a result, Payra sea port development project has become a unique case—a joint venture of two opposing regional rivals.
And if China could secure sole control over the project, it could have achieved its goal completely—both securing naval route and encircling India in the sea. However, if China gained its objectives and Bangladesh could not choose a third option of involving both countries, the fate of Payra seaport could have been the same of Hambantota, Sri Lanka and Gwadar, Pakistan.
It is assumed that, if China gained control over the port, it could have been a potential military surveillance base for China. And China could keep an eye on Indian Naval installations and activities in the surrounding areas as well as in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Simultaneously, the country could reconnoiter the Indian movement in Bangladesh in any potential Indo-China military confrontation.
The Payra Port Authority on January 14, 2019 signed a deal with Belgium-based company Jan De Nul for capital dredging of a 75-km-long and 100 to 125-meter-wide main channel of the port.
Questions rise why China is so eager to build a port sharing with a rival country in such a place where 75 km dredging of the canal is needed; moreover, there is a risk of the port to face the same fate that of Hambantota. Perhaps the reason is not to remain absent in any of the projects in the coastline or achieve further goals through this shared project in the long run.
Payra, accomodating rivals:
The Parya seaport is primarily a Bangladesh Government’s route for import and export goods. In the past few years, the foreign trade of the country has been increased remarkably. As a result, a new seaport was necessary to construct. The depth of this port is 7 to 15 meters—much higher than the Chittagong and Mongla ports. As a result, the navigability of this port will not be “tide-dependent”. Moreover, once it is fully operational, the port will facilitate container ships of 8,000 containers capacity or 120,000 tons of cargo.
1200 meter long multipurpose terminal will be built by India Ports Global, an Indian firm. China Harbor Engineering Company will construct ‘core port infrastructure’, while China State Construction Engineering Corporation will build ‘riparian liabilities’ and ‘housing, education and health facilities’ of the Payra port. India and china will invest $750 and $510 million consecutively for this port. And the estimated total cost is $16 billion.
There is a high possibility of competition between China and India in maintaining the Payra Port. On the one hand, China has posture and ambition to gain dominance at the Bay of Bengal. On the other hand, even though India has not such a plan, the country has been just opposing strategic Chinese efforts boldly. And many analysts believe, this is one of the major reasons why China could not achieve authority over any of the ports in Bangladesh.
The attitude of these two partners regarding each other may be proved a great setback of Payra port when it begins operation. India needs the port to facilitate transportation support for its eastern and northeastern states. And China needs it for geo-economic reasons, for securing its maritime silk road.
And if India establishes communication with its eastern part of the country through this port, there will be competition and question of priority between them. So, competition or even rivalry will exist—which may hamper the purpose of the port to a greater extent. If Bangladesh can smartly keep the balance between the powerful rivals with proper authority, only then the Payra port can be a beneficial project for maritime business.
Imran Hossain The writer works for the Daily Observer of Bangladesh