Bhutanese king to visit New Delhi amid Thimphu-Beijing border talks

The Bhutanese king meet with PM Narendra Modi and the two leaders are expected to discuss the progress in the talks between Bhutan and China, not only for settling the protracted boundary dispute but also for establishing formal diplomatic relations.

New Delhi: Even as New Delhi is cautiously monitoring the progress in the Thimphu-Beijing boundary negotiation, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will on Friday commence a week-long visit to India – his second this year.

He will have a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two leaders are expected to discuss the progress in the talks between Bhutan and China, not only for settling the protracted boundary dispute but also for establishing formal diplomatic relations.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the senior officials will call on the Bhutanese king.

Wangchuck is visiting New Delhi just days after Thimphu and Beijing held the 25th round of boundary talks in Beijing on October 23 and 24 and signed an agreement delineating the responsibilities and functions of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on the delimitation and demarcation of the Bhutan-China boundary. Thimphu and Beijing have also revealed last month that the two sides were discussing establishing formal diplomatic relations.

Bhutan at present does not have any formal diplomatic relations with China or any of the four other permanent members of the United Nations.

Beijing, however, has been prodding Thimphu for the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations – a move, which, New Delhi believes, has been part of its endeavour to expand footprints in the neighbourhood of India.

The territorial row between Bhutan and China covers an area of about 764 sq km – 269 sq. km in western and 495 sq km in north-central Bhutan. China in 2020 also staked a claim on the Salting Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Bhutan as part of its territory. Bhutan of course rejected the claim.

New Delhi is concerned over the possibility of Thimphu giving up its claim over areas in the vicinity of Doklam in western Bhutan in exchange for Beijing narrowing or giving up its territorial claims in the north-central region of the tiny Himalayan Shangri-La. 

If China gains control over the entire Doklam Plateau, sans the tri-junction point, as well as the nearby areas, it will get a strategic advantage against India. The Chinese PLA will find it easier to conduct military manoeuvres aimed at blocking the Siliguri Corridor – the narrow stretch of land linking India’s North-East with the rest of the country.

Ever since Thimphu expedited its boundary negotiation with Beijing, New Delhi conveyed that it would expect Bhutan to continue to be sensitive to the security interests of India while negotiating with China.