Teesta project: ‘Cooperation with Bangladesh doesn’t target third party’, China says on India’s concerns

Reiterating support for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, China said its cooperation with Bangladesh did not target any third party and should be free from third-party influence.

Responding to reporters in Beijing on the concerns raised by India regarding the project, he said, “I would like to stress that China-Bangladesh cooperation does not target any third party and should be free from third-party influence.”  

The Teesta basin lies very close to India's northeastern region, which forms the basis of India's concern over the Dhaka-Beijing joint initiative.

China, meanwhile, called the Teesta project significant for Bangladesh, NDTV reports.

"The comprehensive treatment and restoration of the Teesta River is a livelihood project to which the Bangladeshi side attaches high importance. China is ready to do what it can to support this project," Jiakun said.

"China stands ready to seek greater synergy in development strategies with Bangladesh and step up exchange and cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, water conservancy, and livelihood," he added.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has said the two countries' experts will conduct a technical feasibility study for the first time on the project.

"Both sides have agreed on this, which was not at the same stage last time. China has said it will provide all possible support to this project, as the feasibility study justifies it," the minister added.

During the recent official visit to China, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Water Resources Minister Li Guoying.

During the visit, the two countries agreed to accelerate work on a technical feasibility study for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project.

Later, Mahdi Amin, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, said China had shown interest in remaining involved in the project from the design and planning stages through to implementation.  

Addressing the Parliament on Monday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman pledged to implement the ‘Teesta Barrage Master Plan’ at any cost, describing it as a national priority and a key step towards ensuring water security, supporting agriculture and improving livelihoods in northern Bangladesh. 

The Teesta River project has attracted attention in New Delhi because of its proximity to the Siliguri Corridor, which connects India’s northeastern states with the rest of the country. India considers this stretch one of the country’s most strategically sensitive regions.

Indian officials have expressed concerns that a greater Chinese presence in the Teesta basin could have long-term security implications because of the project’s location near this critical corridor.