China is considering establishing military presence in several countries around the world, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Myanmar. This claim has been made in a recently published report by the United States. The information comes from the Annual Threat Assessment report released by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). However, the report does not clearly specify what kind of military presence China is seeking in these countries. There has also been no response from China regarding this matter.
Every year, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) publishes a report addressing various global threats. The report for this year, titled “2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment,” has recently been made public. While the South Asia section of the report mentions various threats concerning Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, there is no direct mention of Bangladesh. However, in the China section of the report, both Bangladesh and neighboring Myanmar are included among the countries linked to China’s expanding strategic ambitions.
The report warns about China’s activities, stating:
“China maintains its strategic objective of becoming the dominant power in East Asia. With goals that include integrating Taiwan with mainland China, advancing the development and resilience of its economy, and achieving technological self-sufficiency by mid-century, the country is challenging the United States for global leadership.”
According to the report,
“China continues to expand its global capabilities in diplomacy, information, military, and economic domains in order to counter the United States and its allies. President Xi Jinping has undertaken several initiatives to better position China in its strategic competition with the U.S. and its partners in the Indo-Pacific and surrounding regions. These efforts include continuing attempts to weaken support for U.S. military alliances and its security partnerships.”
The report outlines where China has already begun expanding its military footprint and where it is considering doing so in the future. In the “Global Military Operations” section of the China chapter, the report states:
“To conduct sustained operations far from its borders, China is enhancing the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). In addition, China is building stronger overseas logistical infrastructure to support long-range deployments of its forces. These initiatives could pose threats to U.S. global operations and international trade.”
