Bangladesh’s interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, stirred controversy during his visit to China by describing India’s Northeast as “landlocked” while advocating for deeper Sino-Bangladesh ties. Yunus emphasized Bangladesh’s strategic importance as a “guardian of the ocean” for the region and signed nine agreements with China, including infrastructure and water management projects like the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration initiative.

While Chinese President Xi Jinping extended zero-tariff access to Bangladeshi goods and proposed talks on a Free Trade Agreement, Yunus’ remarks about the Seven Sisters have drawn criticism, injecting geopolitical undertones into Bangladesh’s deepening ties with China. India is monitoring Beijing’s growing presence in its neighborhood closely.