1/18/2024 0 Comments Sonadia deep sea port mapChina is heavily dependent on these sea lanes for importing energy and raw materials.Ĭhina’s investment in Sri Lankan port facilities was pushed back following the Like the port at Hambantota in Sri Lanka and Gwadar in Pakistan, Sonadia was to be part of Beijing’s “string of pearls” strategy-a series of Chinese-funded port facilities across the Indian Ocean to safeguard its shipping from the Middle East and Africa. Kamal told Reuters that Matarbari would be a “comprehensive” project, adding that “Matarbari is sufficient, we may have to give up the other port project” (see: “ Japan competes with China over port investment in Bangladesh”). It became clear last July that Bangladesh was moving to shelve the proposed Sonadia port after it signed an agreement with Japan to build a deep-water port in Matarbari, just 25 kilometres from Sonadia. ![]() Mustafa Kamal, however, later admitted that the port deal would not proceed because “some countries, including India and the United States, are against the Chinese involvement.” While no agreement was signed, Chinese state media reported that “both sides expressed willingness to have further negotiations.”īangladesh’s planning minister, A.H.M. When Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited China in June 2014 it appeared likely that a deal on the multi-billion project would go ahead. The Indian media has reported the power station deal as a “second setback” for Beijing, following the failure of a long-planned Chinese deal with Bangladesh to build the huge Sonadia deep-sea port near Chittagong, the country’s major port.Ĭhina had carried out extensive feasibility assessments and agreed to provide 99 percent of funds to build Sonadia. The BHEL agreement further highlights India’s efforts to undermine Beijing’s economic and strategic influence in Bangladesh and throughout South Asia, as part of Washington’s “pivot” to Asia, directed at undermining China and preparing for war. The Indian government’s external lending arm, the Exim Bank, is providing 70 percent of the funding at the low soft interest rate of about 1 percent above the Libor, the leading global benchmark for pricing transactions. India’s Economic Times said it would be the largest foreign project by an Indian power company.Īnwarul Azim, a spokesman for the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company, a joint venture set up to build the coal-fired plant, said BHEL was the lowest bidder. The 1,320MW thermal power station will be located in Khulna district, southern Bangladesh. Over the past two months, Chinese investment bids in Bangladesh reportedly have been outflanked by Indian and Japanese corporations over port and power plant projects.Īccording to media reports, India’s state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is soon to sign a $1.6 billion power station construction contract with Bangladesh after undercutting China’s Harbin Electric International Company. ![]() Bangladesh has become the focus for increasing geo-political rivalry between China, India and Japan-the latter two backed by the US.
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