Sheikh Hasina Returns Early From China: Diplomatic Snub or Genuine Concern?

New Delhi: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cut short her trip to China, returning home ahead of schedule. Originally set to leave Beijing on Thursday morning, Hasina departed on Wednesday night. This visit, her fifth to China as Prime Minister and the first in five years, appears to have been less successful than expected. Her early return suggested that the objectives of her visit were not fully met.   

What happened during Sheikh Hasina’s trip?

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met President Xi Jinping and her Chinese counterpart Li Qiang on Wednesday, July 10 as the two countries signed 21 agreements, MoUs and announced seven more projects to further elevate their strategic cooperative ties.

During the meetings, both countries agreed to elevate their “strategic partnership” to a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership,” Bangladesh’s state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported.

China will help Bangladesh economically in four ways by giving grants, interest-free loans, concessional loans and commercial loans, the Chinese President said during the bilateral meeting with Hasina, it said.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Bangladesh’s State Minister at the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications & Information Technology posted a photo of the two leaders’ meeting on X and said, “Hon’ble President of China, H E Mr Xi Jinping met and held a bilateral meeting with the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.” Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud briefed the newsmen about the outcome of the meeting between the two leaders and described it as: “A very successful discussion was held between the two leaders in a very cordial environment.” Giving out details about the Li-Hasina meeting, BSS said the agreements were inked in the presence of Hasina and Li after the delegation-level talks between the two countries.

Earlier, the Bangladesh prime minister was accorded a red carpet reception and greeted by Premier Li as she reached for the bilateral meeting.The bilateral talks mainly featured the Rohingya issue, business, trade and commerce, investments, and bilateral relations alongside various regional and international matters.

The instruments on cooperation in the economic and banking sector, trade and investment, digital economy, infrastructure development, assistance in disaster management, construction of 6th and 9th Bangladesh-China friendship bridges, export of agricultural products from Bangladesh and people-to-people connectivity were signed, the BSS report said.

Why did Hasina return early?

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's early return from China, officially attributed to her daughter's health, appears to have deeper implications. According to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, China pledged 1 billion yuan ($137 million or Rs 11,52 crore) in economic assistance to Dhaka, a figure announced by Premier Li Keqiang during his meeting with Hasina. However, this amount fell short of Bangladesh's expectations.

Reports suggest that Hasina may have been "upset" over the reduced financial assistance and the lack of "appropriate protocol" extended to her. Prior to her visit, China had promised $5 billion in loan assistance, but during Hasina's trip, only a $100 million package was announced.

Hasina had expected extended discussions with President Xi Jinping but only received a brief interaction, with Premier Li serving as her main interlocutor. Notably, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi did not meet with Hasina, and state-run Chinese media, which typically provides extensive coverage to visiting leaders, did not offer the same attention to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister.

These developments may have influenced Hasina's decision to return home ahead of schedule, under the pretext of attending to her daughter's health, sources familiar with the matter told a leading website.