China's envoy to India visits Bhutan

China's ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, is on a visit to Bhutan – his first after Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army had a 72-day-long face-off at Doklam Plateau in the western region of the tiny kingdom.

“On my way to BHUTAN,” Luo posted on Twitter early on Saturday. “Delighted to visit #Bhutan again. #Paro, a sacred and tranquil place,” he tweeted later.

Luo is likely to call on Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay during his stay in Thimphu. He may also have an audience with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

China does not have formal diplomatic relations with Bhutan, which transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary constitutional monarchy over 2007-08.

Beijing's envoy to New Delhi however informally looks after China's relations with Bhutan.

China has been keen to establish diplomatic relations with Bhutan and even offered to drop its territorial claim on the Himalayan Kingdom's northern areas if allowed to open its embassy in Thimphu. China and Bhutan had 24 rounds of boundary talks till August, 2016. Though the 25th round was expected to be held last year, Beijing declined to schedule the talks with Thimphu, in view of the face-off at Doklam Plateau.

Beijing early last year tried to renew its efforts to open up its embassy in Thimphu – a move New Delhi has been closely monitoring. Luo visited Thimphu in January and met King and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. He was quoted by Kuensel (the national newspaper of the kingdom) saying that he had conveyed to them Beijing's keenness to “expand” China-Bhutan relations. He also told Kuensel that China was keen to resolve the boundary dispute with Bhutan “as soon as possible”.

Beijing's renewed move to warm up to Thimphu, however, was paused after China's People's Liberation Army came to Doklam Plateau on the disputed Sino-Bhutan border on June 16, 2017 and started building a road, brushing off protests by the Royal Bhutanese Army. Indian Army troops went to Doklam Plateau on June 18, 2017 and stopped the PLA soldiers and construction personnel from building the road, resulting in a face-off, which continued for 72 days and ended on August 28, 2017 with the withdrawal of troops by both sides.

Sources told the DH that New Delhi had been closely monitoring Beijing's overtures to Thimphu, given the “uniqueness” of the “close and longstanding” ties between India and Bhutan and shared “security concerns”, as enshrined in the 1949 friendship agreement.

New Delhi, according to the sources, was aware that Beijing might use its engagement with Thimphu to renew its old offer to settle the boundary dispute between China and Bhutan.

Beijing offered to give up its claim on about 495 square kilometre of areas at Bayul Pasanglung in northern Bhutan if Thimphu agrees to make “progress in diplomatic relations” leading to the establishment of the Embassy of China in the capital of the Kingdom.

Beijing, however, also made it clear to Thimphu that it would not give up its claim on about 269 square kilometre areas in Doklam, Charithang, Sinchulimpa and Dramana in western Bhutan.

Sources in New Delhi told the DH that China was not ready to go soft on its claim on areas in western Bhutan ostensibly because it wanted to gain a strategic edge over India.

Doklam, in particular, is adjacent to India-China-Bhutan tri-junction boundary point and very close to Siliguri Corridor, which links the north-eastern States of India with the rest of the country.