According to a report by the Chinese embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh has experienced rapid growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) from China since it joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2016 even as the country’s favourable investment climate has attracted Chinese investors, leading to increased inflows of FDI.
Reports claimed this adding, over the past decade, Bangladesh has received over US $ 2.6 billion in FDI from China, whereas the total FDI from Japan stands at just US $ 380 million to date, as per data from Bangladesh Bank even as Chinese investments have been directed towards various industries, including readymade garments, telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, leather and leather goods, chemicals, and more.
In addition to the surge in FDI, bilateral trade between Bangladesh and China has also witnessed significant growth. In 2022, the total trade volume reached US $ 25 billion, a considerable increase from US $ 6.77 billion in 2013. China mainly imports capital machinery and raw materials from Bangladesh, while Bangladesh’s exports to China predominantly consist of vegetables, frozen and live fish, leather and leather goods, paper, yarn, and woven fabrics.
The report, released on 2nd July earlier this year, provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall investment by Chinese investors in Bangladesh, as well as the challenges they may encounter in the process. The increasing investment inflows from China and the burgeoning bilateral trade demonstrate the strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
