<P> As a long - standing ally of Pakistan, the People's Republic of China reacted with alarm to the evolving situation in East Pakistan and the prospect of India invading West Pakistan and Pakistani - controlled Kashmir . Believing that just such an Indian attack was imminent, Nixon encouraged China to mobilise its armed forces along its border with India to discourage it . The Chinese did not, however, respond to this encouragement, because unlike the 1962 Sino - Indian War when India was caught entirely unaware, this time the Indian Army was prepared and had deployed eight mountain divisions to the Sino - Indian border to guard against such an eventuality . China instead threw its weight behind demands for an immediate ceasefire . </P> <P> When Bangladesh applied for membership to the United Nations in 1972, China vetoed their application because two United Nations resolutions regarding the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners of war and civilians had not yet been implemented . China was also among the last countries to recognise independent Bangladesh, refusing to do so until 31 August 1975 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Date of recognition </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Bhutan </Td> <Td> 000000001971 - 12 - 06 - 0000 6 December 1971 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> India </Td> <Td> 000000001971 - 12 - 06 - 0000 6 December 1971 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Poland </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 12 - 0000 12 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Bulgaria </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 12 - 0000 12 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Burma </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 13 - 0000 13 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Nepal </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 16 - 0000 16 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Barbados </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 20 - 0000 20 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Yugoslavia </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 22 - 0000 22 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Tonga </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 25 - 0000 25 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Soviet Union </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 26 - 0000 26 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Czechoslovakia </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 26 - 0000 26 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> Cyprus </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 26 - 0000 26 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Hungary </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 26 - 0000 26 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Australia </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 26 - 0000 26 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Fiji </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 26 - 0000 26 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> New Zealand </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 01 - 26 - 0000 26 January 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Senegal </Td> <Td> 000000001972 - 02 - 01 - 0000 1 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> <Td> 4 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> West Germany </Td> <Td> 4 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> Finland </Td> <Td> 4 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Denmark </Td> <Td> 4 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Sweden </Td> <Td> 4 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> Norway </Td> <Td> 4 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Iceland </Td> <Td> 4 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Israel (rejected by Bangladesh) </Td> <Td> 4 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> 8 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> Luxembourg </Td> <Td> 11 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> Netherlands </Td> <Td> 11 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29 </Td> <Td> Belgium </Td> <Td> 11 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 30 </Td> <Td> Ireland </Td> <Td> 11 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31 </Td> <Td> Italy </Td> <Td> 12 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 32 </Td> <Td> France </Td> <Td> 14 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 33 </Td> <Td> Canada </Td> <Td> 14 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 34 </Td> <Td> Singapore </Td> <Td> 16 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 35 </Td> <Td> Mauritius </Td> <Td> 20 February 1972 </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Date of recognition </Th> </Tr>

List of countries who have first recognized to bangladesh
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