China, Bangladesh, and Pakistan Eye New Regional Grouping

A May 2025 file image of Bangladeshi leader Muhammad Yunus. Photo by Kanshiro Sonoda / Yomiuri / The Yomiuri Shimbun via AFP

The governments of China, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are reportedly in advanced talks to establish a new regional cooperation bloc. The Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune reported that the high-level meeting held between representatives of the three countries in Kunming on 19 June mainly focused on laying a new regional cooperation framework that could also attract other South Asian countries.

The new grouping would replace the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which has been dormant since India, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Bangladesh withdrew from a summit in 2016 due to regional security concerns.

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by CGSP Staff

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