India-China Rivalry and Strategic Options for Bangladesh
Abstract
Bangladesh is a small state in South Asia. Like any other small state, Bangladesh strives to maintain her two most important security interests: territorial integrity and political independence. Since its independence in 1971, Bangladesh has had disputes with India over land and maritime boundaries and over river water-sharing. Bangladesh's political independence is threatened by the inclination of two major political parties either towards India or towards China and Pakistan. Thus, the threats to Bangladesh's security interests depend on the security environment of the region, which mostly depends on the India-China relationship. This research explores the impact of India-China relations on Bangladesh. Historically, China and India have had a long legacy of rivalry. Despite their current mutual economic cooperation, India and China have failed to resolve their territorial disputes of the last 65 years. This thesis endeavors to predict the future relationship of India and China. The research finds that India and China are likely to come into conflict in the future. The research also identifies that amid India-China rivalry, Bangladesh lacks sustainable strategic foreign policy options to secure her national interests. After analyzing different strategic options, the thesis recommends that "flexible and transparent nonalignment" is the most suitable strategic option for Bangladesh.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 14, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA589876
Entities
People
- S. M. Haque
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College