Editorial: Time to checkmate China

India needs to keep a close watch as both Beijing and Thimphu move to border demarcation

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s ongoing visit to India provides an opportunity for New Delhi to reset the bilateral ties amid aggressive attempts by China to regain its foothold in the tiny Himalayan neighbour. There are fresh concerns in India’s diplomatic circles over a possible border agreement between Beijing and Thimpu which could potentially imperil India’s security, particularly on Doklam, a strategic tri-junction between India, Bhutan and China. In recent years, Beijing stepped up efforts to establish full-fledged diplomatic ties with Bhutan and to expedite negotiations to reach a settlement over the vexed border dispute which was complicated by Beijing’s attempts to claim Doklam despite Thimphu’s assertions that the area belonged to it. The 2017 Doklam stand-off is still fresh in India’s memory. India’s handling of the two-month-long military face-off demonstrated to the world that the country will not allow itself to be pushed around at any cost. The development also reflected New Delhi’s commitment to protect the territorial and security interests of Bhutan in tune with the bilateral security agreement. It is a triumph of cool-headed diplomacy over war-mongering rhetoric as New Delhi kept its communication channels open for a peaceful resolution of the dispute that erupted when Chinese troops entered the tri-junction and started road construction works. If allowed unhindered, it would have given them a major strategic and territorial advantage and altered the status quo in the disputed region with serious security ramifications for India. The recent developments indicating a new-found bonhomie between Bhutan and China have raised many an eyebrow in Indian diplomatic circles.

Of particular concern was the rare visit to China last month by Bhutanese foreign minister Tandi Dorji, during which both countries held the boundary talks after a gap of seven years and expressed interest in demarcating the boundary soon. India is justifiably wary of the Chinese moves. China aims to shift the Doklam tri-junction southward, which would make the entire Doklam plateau legally part of China, a move that India rejects. For China, diplomatic relations and dispute resolution with tiny-landlocked Bhutan are crucial for its status as an Asian power. New Delhi, on the other hand, is strongly opposed to China extending its footprint in Doklam since the high-altitude plateau lies close to the sensitive Siliguri corridor, the narrow tract of land that separates India’s northeastern States from the rest of the country. Beijing’s hegemonic ambitions have already created several flashpoints across the region. Peeling Bhutan away from India has been part of its long-term strategy to ensure unquestioned dominance in Asia. It already has a vice-like grip over Pakistan as the ambitious networking project China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has the potential to turn Pakistan into a client State. India needs to keep a close watch as both Beijing and Thimphu move from dispute negotiation to border demarcation.

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