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    Bhutan-China border talks deal not to involve Trijunction with India

    Synopsis

    As per a 2012 understanding between the special representatives of India and China, any trijunction will be resolved in consultation with all three countries concerned.

    chinaAgencies
    The three-step roadmap between Bhutan and China is a bilateral arrangement and it will not cover trijunctions, ET has reliably gathered.
    The Bhutan-China bilateral ‘three-step roadmap’ that aims to expedite negotiations to settle festering boundary dispute between the two countries will not cover the India-Bhutan-China trijunction, people aware of the matter said. As per a 2012 understanding between India and China, any trijunction will only be resolved in consultation with all three countries concerned, they said. The India-China-Bhutan trijunction near Doklam was in spotlight in 2017 when the Indian Army challenged People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China when it started constructing a road in Doklam region.

    The troops withdrew after a 70-day impasse ahead of the BRICS Summit hosted by China in Xiamen. The three-step roadmap between Bhutan and China is a bilateral arrangement and it will not cover trijunctions, ET has reliably gathered. With this deal, Bhutan hopes to expedite negotiations to settle boundary disputes as it feels that delay in settling the dispute is resulting in loss of its territory every year to China due to PLA’s alleged transgressions, ET has learnt from Thimphu-based sources. While the earlier goal was reportedly to prolong negotiations, the Bhutanese leadership has now decided to expedite talks to settle the boundary dispute.

    Bhutan and China entered an agreements in 1988 and then in 1998 on the maintenance of peace, tranquillity and status quo along their border. The three-step roadmap would press China to abide by these pacts and ensure that there is no unilateral change in status quo, one of the above-mentioned sources said. Bhutan’s loss of territory to China is a headache for India as this could bring China geographically closer to the strategically located ‘Chicken's neck’ area in West Bengal, the person said. Bhutan is sensitive to India’s security concerns in the region given the nature and depth of its ties with New Delhi.

    China claims around 764 square km of Bhutanese territory, distributed between the north-west and central regions of the Himalayan state. In 1997, China had offered a so-called ‘package deal’ under which it would give up claims on areas in central Bhutan in exchange for territory on the western part, including Doklam. In 2020, even as it was involved in a border row with India near Ladakh, China made a claim on Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in Trashigang District in far-eastern Bhutan.

    The sanctuary and the areas around are traditionally believed to be home to yeti, or ‘Migoi’ in Bhutanese. India proposed to build a road in Bhutan's ‘Yeti territory’ – immediately after Beijing’s claim Sakteng — as it would enable Delhi to quickly access Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China. The proposed road, which has strategic significance, will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Tawang by 150 kilometres. This will enable Delhi to deploy troops faster to respond to any military moves by China, not only across Tawang, but also towards the eastern region of Bhutan. China’s claim of territory in far-eastern Bhutan is linked to its claim on 90,000 sq km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh. Beijing and Thimphu are negotiating boundary dispute since 1984 and this has involved 24 rounds of negotiations and 10 rounds of expert-level meetings.

    The three-step roadmap is continuation of the ongoing process of negotiations. It aims to settle and demarcate the boundary between Bhutan and China. Sources familiar with the Bhutan-China boundary dispute, however, told ET there has been no change so far in the basic positions of both sides. Therefore, creation of diplomatic ties is not on the horizon as that will involve among other issues a settled boundary between China and Bhutan. It may be noted here that Bhutan does not have diplomatic ties with any of the permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

    On Thursday, India had said it has taken note of the Sino-Bhutan roadmap. “We have noted the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bhutan and China today. You are aware that Bhutan and China have been holding boundary negotiations since 1984. India has similarly been holding boundary negotiations with China,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said.


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    ( Originally published on Oct 15, 2021 )

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