Bangladesh rebuffs China on Quad warning

As a sovereign country, Bangladesh will determine the course of its foreign policy in the interest of its people, says Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen

Bangladesh’s government has asked foreign envoys in Dhaka “to maintain decency and decorum” after public remarks from China’s Ambassador to the country provoked a sharp response. The strongly-worded statement from Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry followed remarks by China’s envoy in Dhaka, Li Jiming, who warned Bangladesh to not consider joining the Quad grouping and said doing so would “damage” relations. While the informal has no plans as yet to expand, Mr. Li’s remarks were seen as an advance warning and followed similar recent comments by China’s Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe, who on visits to Colombo and Dhaka last month urged countries in South Asia to not join any military alliances. Some Chinese officials have described the Quad as an “Asian NATO” and as a military alliance, a label that its members have rejected.