Bangladesh – Experts: China’s economic interests with West stops full invasion of Taiwan

Location:  Dhaka and Savar- Bangladesh

Language: Bengali

Sound: Natural

Duration: 00:05:50

Source: A24 Agency

Restrictions: A24 Subscribers

Dateline: 15.03.2022

Storyline

With the Ukraine crisis deepening and prolonging, political experts and analysts have been pondering on the chance China might have been emboldened to realize its long-standing ambitions of occupying Taiwan and annexing it as part of its national territory. Within hours of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, nine Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense zone, causing alarm in the island. This is becoming an increasingly regular occurrence for China, which refuses to acknowledge the independence of Taiwan. Analysts, nonetheless, explained that it is highly unlikely for China to follow in Russia’s footsteps and invade a neighboring country. They said that China has become intertwined in the global market with its economy linked to the European and American markets, adding that Beijing is keen not to jeopardize its economic interest at this stage to seek its national ambitions. They explained that China has been fully aware of the Western sanctions against Russia and would not want to be subject to crushing economic sanctions, which would annihilate China’s dream of becoming an economic superpower.

Shotlist

(Soundbite): Dr. Bashir Ahmed, Professor, Department of Government and Politics at the Jahangirnagar University:

“China is ruled by the policy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). China follows two policies. Politically it follows Communism and economically it follows capitalism. In that case, China believes in the “One China” policy – Taiwan and Hong Kong are an inseparable part of China, and the Chinese foreign policy is based on that theory. After the sudden attack of Russia on Ukraine, Chinese nationalists have started to believe that they should also take initiatives to occupy Taiwan as they believe that it is an inseparable part of China. But this will not be possible right now. Because of the way the western alliance imposes sanctions on Russia, China does not want to fall into those sanctions right now. China has closely tied up with the Western economy and China depends on the Western world for its economic development. This is why has China taken a pragmatic policy to avoid those sanctions.”

(Soundbite): Professor, Nasim Akhtar Hossain, Dean, Department of Government and Politics at the Jahangirnagar University, Savar:

“There may have cultural similarity; history says that [Taiwan] was us [China]. In that case, India also can say Pakistan & Bangladesh were parts of our country we have to be together again. These are imaginations only. You are neighbors and history also supports you. But only for that, you will occupy a country. The world is not in that position now. This is impossible politically and not possible at all economically. We have entered into the world of globalization and all the countries are connected so closely that it is almost impossible to go for any conflict. Now there have not any small countries or big countries. Now the economy is in such an important that if we cannot maintain this relationship network, America, Europe or any western countries, nobody can survive alone.”

(Soundbite): Dr. Md. Khalid Quddus, Professor, Department of International Relation, Jahangirnagar University, Savar

“China wants to be the economic superpower. What is the meaning of war? You just see what is the rate of gold right now. War is going on there but the impact is in Bangladesh. China has a vision and mission. China knows what are restrictions to become the economic superpower of the world. If they are involved in a war, they would be regressing. Their economic and international business will be hampered due to sanctions. It will be negative for them. So they will not go for it [the occupation of Taiwan]. You have to think; China’s target is to become an economic superpower. They know if they can achieve this, they would be unstoppable. They would like to move forward in that way. The days of occupying a country through war are not possible now.”

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