Chinese Envoy Meets Jamaat-e-Islami Ahead of Bangladesh Polls: A Strategic Risk-Hedging Move

• Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen met Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, drawing attention in South Asian strategic circles.
• The meeting is seen as a calculated diplomatic move by Beijing to safeguard interests ahead of Bangladesh's national elections, not an endorsement of ideology.
• China recognizes Jamaat-e-Islami's significant street-mobilization capability, viewing it as a 'force multiplier' in shaping protest dynamics and voter turnout.
• Beijing's outreach is driven by uncertainty over Bangladesh's post-poll political landscape and aims to protect its Belt and Road Initiative investments from unrest.
• The engagement also helps China balance regional influence, leveraging Jamaat's India-skeptical stance as a counterweight to New Delhi's presence in Dhaka.

Why It Matters: China's meeting with Jamaat-e-Islami is a pragmatic risk-hedging strategy to secure interests amid Bangladesh's uncertain elections.