Spotlight again on Doklam: India-Bhutan relationship and why China remains the dragon in the room

Source– The post is based on the article “Spotlight again on Doklam: India-Bhutan relationship and why China remains the dragon in the room” published in the “The Indian Express” on 8th April 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Bilateral groupings and agreements

Relevance– India and Bhutan relationship

News– Recently, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited India.

What are recent developments in Bhutan-China relations?

In an interview, Prime Minister Tshering said Bhutan and China had come to understand each other and were close to resolving their boundary disputes.

Tshering denied there were Chinese incursions in Bhutan’s territory. There exist no Chinese installations in Bhutan and there is no intrusion in the Bhutan territory.

As per Bhutan PM, Doklam is a junction point between India, China, and Bhutan. It is not up to Bhutan alone to solve the problem. There are three equal countries, each counting for a third. As soon as the other two parties are also ready, Bhutan is ready to discuss the border dispute.

The two sides have agreed to simultaneously push forward the implementation of all the steps of the Three-Step Roadmap.

The “Three-Step Roadmap for Expediting the China-Bhutan Boundary Negotiations” refers to an agreement reached between the two countries in April 2021.

The two sides have also agreed to increase the frequency of the Expert Group Meetings and to keep contact through diplomatic channels.

In January, Bhutan and China had held talks in Kunming as part of an ongoing dialogue on the border issue.

Kunming talks focussed on Doklam and areas near the India-Bhutan-China trijunction in the west, and the Jakarlung and Pasamlung pasturelands in the north.

What is the Indian position on Bhutan and Doklam issue?

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra reiterated that Tshering had not said anything different from India’s own position on this issue.

S Jaishankar in 2017-18  referred to the “Common Understanding” reached between the Special Representatives of New Delhi and Beijing. As per it, trijunction boundary points would be finalised in consultation with those third countries.

India holds that the 2017 Chinese actions in Doklam amounted to an attempt to change the Bhutan-China border unilaterally. Therefore, it violated two agreements with Bhutan in 1988 and 1998.

New Delhi has always held that an agreement between Bhutan and China is the sovereign decision of the two counties. Bhutan is mindful of Indian concerns.

There is close consultation and coordination between the two sides on security issues of mutual interest. This is also written into the 2007 Treaty of Friendship.

What is the Chinese stand on Doklam?

China wants to move the tri junction point from Batang La further south to Gyomochen. It is a violation of the 2012 agreement with India. Control of this area would give China a strategic advantage over India. it will bring China closer to the “chicken’s neck”.

Beijing wants a land swap with China. It wants to get Doklam in exchange for concessions on disputed territory in the north.

China looks at Bhutan as a pressure point on India. Beijing’s renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh, and its “freeze” on the visas of two Indian journalists, came during the King’s visit to India.

What are the concerns of India on recent developments in Bhutan and China relations?

A China-Bhutan agreement on the boundary, especially if it includes Doklam, would have direct and immediate implications for India’s security.

Tshering’s denial of Chinese incursions in Bhutanese territory has surprised New Delhi. Chinese villages and infrastructure have come up in Doklam.

For more readings– https://forumias.com/blog/india-bhutan-relations-and-its-significance