China Boosts Military And Technical Cooperation With Pakistan And Bangladesh
Officials of the Bangladeshi Navy received two Chinese Type-053H3 frigates – Jiaxing and Lianyungang. The official handover ceremony happened in Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard on December 18. Bangladesh purchased the missile frigates in 2018. On December 23, the frigates strated moving to Bangladesh. It’s expected that they will reach Bangladesh in January 2020.
Type-053H3 frigates have a length of 112m and a displacement of 2,250 tons (standard). A total of 10 Type-053H3 frigates were built for the Chinese Navy in the period from 2005 to 2010. The frigates received by Bangladesh are armed with C-801 surface-launched subsonic anti-ship cruise missiles and HQ-7 short-range air defense missiles.
This is not the first time when Bangladesh buys warships that served with the Chinese Navy. In 2013, the Bangladeshi Navy bought two Type 053H2G frigates.
Meanwhile, reports appeared that the Pakistani Armed Forces will buy 236 SH-15 155 mm self-propelled howitzers from China. The contact worth of $512 million was reportedly signed in June 2019. The deal includes training and maintenance services.
These develpments signs the growing Chinese military technical cooperation with Pakistan and Bangladesh. If this cooperation develops and expands even further, the close cooperation of Pakistan, Bangladesh and China could drastically change the balance of power in the region and undermine the positions of India.
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