DHAKA: China on Thursday said it is “determined” to build an economic corridor with Bangladesh and Myanmar but is open to “other countries” to join its “international initiative” – a project on the eastern side of India that mirrors the strategic role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on its western border.The corridor – which was discussed during Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s recent visit to China – is proposed to strengthen connectivity, especially multimodal transport links from China’s Kunming to Bangladeshi ports, including Mongla, which Dhaka handed over a contract to develop an economic zone to Beijing after Dhaka scrapped an agreement with India. “Dhaka and Beijing have also agreed to explore a ‘2+2’ dialogue mechanism on diplomacy and defence,” Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen told reporters.On the proposed corridor – which, if implemented, would give China access to the Bay of Bengal just as CPEC gives access to the Arabian Sea – Yao said the idea of building such a project is not new. “The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor was discussed, but no progress was made,” he said, referring to an abandoned 1999 plan that proposed linking the nations by road, rail, water and air.“This is not the end of the (China-Bangladesh) cooperation game. We are open and welcome other countries if they are ready to join. But it is up to them whether they want to be a part of it or prefer to wait,” he said.Relations between China and Bangladesh have been on the rise since 2024 – when Sheikh Hasina was removed as Prime Minister – with both sides engaged in a number of important initiatives, including defense – with some such as the Teesta River Restoration Project and reports of Chinese assistance in developing the Lalmonirhat airbase near India’s eastern border, the deal to set up a drone manufacturing and technology transfer plant in Dhaka, and the Mongla port contract attracting New Delhi’s attention.