17% export growth if Bangladesh signs FTA with RCEP bloc

[MH.Yang]

We don’t have a competitive advantage with China yet. In fact, we assemble using their parts. Shipping their stuff back to them is not profitable.

Hopefully Walton will change that.

However, we do have a competitive advantage in certain sectors against the rest of east Asia. Eg low tech manufacturing.

Big multinationals will invest in our EPZs if an FTA is signed.

East Asia will also push to sell things like busses, trains and auto parts under an FTA.

This will reduce our dependence on India for mid level manufacturing.

It’s a win, win!

You are completely mistaken about Bangladesh's position.

Bangladesh does not need to compete with China, nor can it compete with China.

What Bangladesh needs to do is to integrate and join China's industrial chain like Vietnam and other countries. Join, not compete.

Do you think Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries can compete with China?

You are the passengers who come to take the bus, and the driver is China.

 

[MH.Yang]

Yep!

That’s the happy middle.

We need to keep playing the “big powers” against each other.

Our geopolitical card:

1. Ability to cut off the seven sisters.

2. Providing a buffer to China in any war by denying India land routes.

3. Bay Of Bengal

None of them can afford to push us because it might push us towards their bitter rival.

India’s nightmare is letting China have a naval base.

China’s nightmare is allowing India land corridor during a war.

America’s nightmare is all of the above.

You attach too much importance to India. India is not so important to China.
China's global strategy is to form an alliance with the Islamic world along the way through B&R. China needs some bridges to the Islamic world, Pakistan is the bridge, Bangladesh can also be.

 

[UKBengali]

You attach too much importance to India. India is not so important to China.
China's global strategy is to form an alliance with the Islamic world along the way through B&R. China needs some bridges to the Islamic world, Pakistan is the bridge, Bangladesh can also be.

No India is important to BD as it allows us to balance US and China with it.

We need the Indian export market to be huge in order to make sure that not too much of our exports go to either USA or China as one example.

There are lots of other reasons why India is important and I have already written about this multiple times on this forum.