State Department Correspondent
The US Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo has said he is wary of the debt trap elements of the Belt and Road initiatives of China.
“I’m wary of – I am wary of some of the security-oriented operations throughout the Belt and Road, the String of Pearls, whatever you like to call it. I’m equally wary of the debt trap elements of the Belt and Road Initiatives and the extent to which they can later be exploited for exclusive security arrangements,” said the US admiral in a media roundtable held at Washington Foreign Press Centre on Monday .
He made this comment in reply to a question from State Department correspondent M Mushfiqul Fazal, who was invited to represent Bangladesh media at the media roundtable.
In the roundtable M Mushfiqul asked, “I am from Bangladesh. Can you please tell us about the security relations between Bangladesh and United States? Country itself in a problematic situation. China entering to the Bangladeshi coast and the Bay of Bengal through the construction of ports and an overland economic corridor that would connect that area with China’s landlocked provinces. And Bangladesh is the second only to Pakistan in buying arms from China. Bangladesh current regime is trying to keep the power by any means. They are not mandated by the people as they using different tactics Now they are shifting from India to China. So do you think it’s alarming for Bangladesh – too much involvement with the China in terms of our relationship, what is your observation ?”
In reply Admiral Samuel Paparo said, “I’m wary of – I am wary of some of the security-oriented operations throughout the Belt and Road, the String of Pearls, whatever you like to call it. I’m equally wary of the debt trap elements of the Belt and Road Initiatives and the extent to which they can later be exploited for exclusive security arrangements.”
“As you know, the Indian Ocean is key geography in the world, with so much of the world’s commerce traveling through the Indian Ocean and as such a key center for world commerce, world creativity, and population. And so I’m always wary of these arrangements, as we’ve seen in Hambantota, as we’ve seen in Gwadar, as we see in Djibouti. And I always do find that alarming,” the top Admiral added.
On Bangladesh, the US Admiral said, “And all that, nonetheless having recently enjoyed Rear Admiral Iqbal’s company at the combined forces maritime component course, I definitely see avenues for deepened partnership between Bangladesh and the coalition of nations that support a free and open Indo-Pacific. And so in my relationships with the Bangladeshi navy, I see tremendous signs of hope, and then ultimately I believe in the values of a free and Indo – free and open Indo-Pacific, and I trust the intent of the – of your – of those leaders that support that in Bangladesh.”
NK/
