New US ambassador to Bangladesh raises concern over China's regional influence
US and Bangladesh share strong military-to-military cooperation, which has been growing steadily, said Brent T Christensen.
Newly appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen today (21 January) said he is concerned about China's broader influence in South Asia, stressing that the United States has a range of options to help partner militaries meet their capability needs.
"You know, as I said in my hearing… I am concerned about broader Chinese influence in South Asia. I think the United States government has been very clear about that," he said while responding to a question during an interaction with a small group of journalists.
"And as I committed at my hearing, I will always engage with our friends in the government—be it the interim government or a newly elected government—to clearly articulate the risks of involvement with China in certain areas, should the Bangladesh government choose to go down that path," Ambassador Christensen added.
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He said the US and Bangladesh share strong military-to-military cooperation, which has been growing steadily.
The envoy noted that the two countries maintain partnerships across all branches of the Bangladesh defence forces, working with the Navy on maritime security, with the Army, and with the Air Force on operational and emergency response readiness through a range of training programmes and exercises.
He said the US is also working with the Bangladeshi military to support its modernisation plans and capability development, particularly as Bangladesh seeks to expand its role in peacekeeping operations as well as strengthen domestic security preparedness.
"Security issues are a topic of great interest to me, given my previous role as a senior official in Washington and my long experience here in Bangladesh," the ambassador said.
During his nomination hearing, Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska asked Christensen about what he described as Bangladesh's growing military-to-military cooperation with China.
Christensen said at the hearing that he shared the senator's concerns about Chinese influence in South Asia and noted that, if confirmed, he would engage with the Bangladesh government and military to clearly outline the risks associated with Chinese activities—particularly in the maritime domain and critical infrastructure—while also highlighting the opportunities and benefits of closer military-to-military cooperation with the United States
