Chinese Ambassador Inspects Teesta Project Near Strategic Indian Corridor
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen made a significant visit on Monday. He traveled to an area associated with the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project. This location sits close to a highly sensitive zone for India: the Siliguri corridor, often called the Chicken's Neck.
Strategic Location and Regional Tensions
The Siliguri corridor is a narrow, 22-kilometer strip of land. It connects India's mainland to its northeastern states. Ambassador Yao's inspection occurs during a period of notably strained relations between New Delhi and Dhaka. The visit focused on a technical assessment for the large-scale Teesta River project.
Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan accompanied the Chinese envoy to the site in Rangpur's Tepamadhupur Taluk Shahbazpur. Hasan stated that China expresses strong eagerness to begin implementing the Teesta Master Plan quickly. She confirmed that both Bangladesh and China remain committed to this goal.
However, Hasan clarified that the project's scrutiny process is not yet finished. Therefore, starting actual construction work is currently impossible. The completion of the technical review must come first.
A River of Contention and Cooperation
The Teesta River holds immense importance for both nations. For northern districts in Bangladesh, it is an agricultural lifeline supporting countless livelihoods. For India, specifically the state of West Bengal, the river's waters are equally critical.
This shared dependency has made a water-sharing agreement a decades-long challenge. A final deal remains elusive, primarily due to concerns raised repeatedly by the West Bengal government.
Diplomatic Exchanges and Political Context
The ambassador's field visit followed a meeting on Sunday with Bangladesh's National Security Adviser, Khalilur Rahman. The press wing of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus detailed the discussion on social media platform X.
It reported that both sides exchanged views on mutual interests. They reaffirmed the longstanding friendship and development cooperation between Bangladesh and China. The talks specifically covered the Teesta River project and a proposed Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital.
According to the statement, Ambassador Yao informed officials of his planned visit to the Teesta area. He reiterated China's commitment to finishing the ongoing technical assessment as soon as possible.
The press wing added that Yao reaffirmed his government's continued support for Bangladesh's ongoing democratic transition. He conveyed best wishes for the successful conduct of the country's forthcoming national elections.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, appointed in 2024, has previously advocated for deeper Chinese economic involvement. During a 2025 interview in China, he urged Beijing to build strong economic infrastructure in Bangladesh. He highlighted the country's strategic position as what he termed the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region.
Yunus's past comments, including a controversial pitch for an "extension of the Chinese economy" and remarks about India's "landlocked" Northeast, resonated during last December's anti-India protests. Those protests targeted Indian diplomatic facilities in Dhaka and other Bangladeshi cities.
