Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

On June 19, 2025, the China-Pakistan-Bangladesh Trilateral Vice Foreign Minister/Foreign Secretary meeting was held in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province. The meeting officially launched a structured trilateral cooperation mechanism. The three sides agreed to advance trilateral cooperation based on the principles of good-neighborliness, equality and mutual trust, openness and inclusiveness, common development and win-win cooperation. They agreed to explore and implement cooperation projects in various spheres and will establish a working group to follow up and implement the understandings reached during the meeting. This innovative mechanism transcends traditional bilateral and multilateral models in South Asia, offering a non-confrontational framework to jointly address modernization challenges.

Against the backdrop of sweeping global change, the South Asia and Indian Ocean regions are undergoing a structural realignment. After Bangladesh's interim government was formed in August 2024, India-Bangladesh ties suffered a setback. Following shifts in Bangladesh's domestic political landscape, Pakistan-Bangladesh ties warmed again - on December 19, 2024, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Bangladeshi interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Egypt during the 11th Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation Summit. Meanwhile, a recent military incident between India and Pakistan shattered India's image as "South Asia's hegemon," greatly boosting Pakistani national morale and inspiring smaller South Asian states to unite, pursue diversified security strategies and bolster their confidence in regional peace, stability and development.

The South Asia and Indian Ocean region is not lacking in regional cooperation organizations. However, when it comes to economic development, there is a serious lack of coordination among countries in the region. India is the largest economy in the area, but it has limited economic complementarity with other regional countries, even intense industrial competition and conflicts of interests in some areas. While India lacks the capacity to drive regional economic development, it remains reluctant to see external countries assist its neighbors in advancing their economic and social progress, as it seeks to preserve its geopolitical dominance. Against this backdrop, the South Asia and Indian Ocean region requires innovative mechanisms to address the security dilemmas facing countries in the region, ensure peace and stability, and leverage external resources, including not only funding but also technology, knowledge, governance experience and even institutional frameworks.

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) offers a rare opportunity for the economic and social development of South Asian and Indian Ocean countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. With the advancement of the BRI, China and these countries have jointly established various multilateral mechanisms such as the China-South Asia Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development Cooperation and the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Development Cooperation. However, a trilateral mechanism like the China-Bangladesh-Pakistan Vice Foreign Minister/Foreign Secretary meeting, focusing on economic development and the improvement of people's livelihoods, is the first of its kind.

Pakistan is China's largest investment destination in South Asia, while Bangladesh is the second-largest. China-Bangladesh-Pakistan trilateral cooperation provides a more convenient platform for sharing experiences in economic and social development. This form of complementary cooperation goes beyond traditional aid models and, in line with the principle of "open regionalism," extends its openness to other countries in the region.

The emergence of China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation marks a new phase in regional cooperation in South Asia. This trilateral meeting presents a fresh vision for South Asian countries: promoting security through development. As significant members of the Global South and key countries in the region, all three countries face the mission of national revitalization and modernization, and all require a peaceful and stable environment. Cooperation among China, Pakistan and Bangladesh aligns with the common interests of the three peoples and can contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

The author is director of the Center for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn