China prods Bhutan to establish diplomatic relations and settle border issues soon

BEIJING: China has asked Bhutan to establish diplomatic ties with it and resolve the boundary issue as soon as possible to transform the relations between the two neighbours into legal form.

Bhutanese Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji, who is currently visiting Beijing to take part in the boundary talks, on Tuesday met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng who said both sides agreed to accelerate the boundary demarcation process and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Han said that China and Bhutan are friendly neighbours and although the two countries have not yet established diplomatic relations, they have long maintained friendly exchanges.

“China always respects Bhutan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels and in all fields, expand practical cooperation on the economy, trade, culture and tourism, and accelerate the boundary demarcation process and the establishment of diplomatic relations with Bhutan to bring more benefits to the two countries and the two peoples,” Han said.

For his part, Dorji told Han that the Bhutanese government attaches great importance to the development of relations with China and abides firmly by the one-China principle.

Both sides have firm determination and a sincere desire to demarcate their boundaries and establish diplomatic relations at an early date, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in his meeting with Dorji said restoration of diplomatic ties will serve the long-term interests of both countries, a Foreign Ministry press release here said.

The conclusion of boundary negotiations and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bhutan fully serve the long-term and fundamental interests of the country and nation of Bhutan,” Wang said.

China is ready to work with Bhutan in the same direction, seize the historic opportunity, complete this important process as soon as possible, and fix and develop China-Bhutan friendly relations in legal form,” Wang, also a member of the powerful Political Bureau of the ruling Communist Party, told Dorji.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry press release quoted Dorji as saying that Bhutan firmly abides by the one-China principle meaning Taiwan and Tibet are part of China and stands ready to work with China for an early settlement of the boundary issue and advance the political process of establishing diplomatic relations.

China and Bhutan do not have diplomatic relations but maintain contact through periodic visits by officials. While Beijing resolved the boundary disputes with the 12 other neighbours, India and Bhutan are the only two countries China has yet to sign the border agreements.

China in recent years stepped up efforts to establish full-fledged diplomatic ties with Bhutan and to expedite negotiations to reach a settlement for the vexed border dispute which was complicated by Beijing’s attempts to claim Doklam despite Thimphu’s assertions that the area belonged to it.

China’s attempts to build a road in the Doklam plateau in 2017 resulted in an India-China stand-off triggering tensions between the two neighbours.

India strongly opposed the construction of the road by the Chinese military at the Doklam tri-junction as it would have impacted its overall security interests since it runs close to the narrow Siliguri Corridor also known as the Chicken Neck connecting India with its north-east.

The standoff ended after Beijing dropped its plan to build the road.

Also in 2020, China made a surprising claim on Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan at the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council by opposing funding for the project. Bhutan has lodged a demarche to the Chinese Embassy in India over China’s claim over the sanctuary made at the GEF meeting.

China has also ramped up efforts to develop the villages located along borders with India Bhutan and Nepal with infrastructure development and preferential policies.

Beijing and Thimphu held their 13th Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the Bhutan-China Boundary issues in Beijing in August this year.

After the talks, the Bhutanese Foreign Ministry has said the discussions were candid, friendly and constructive discussions on continuously implementing the MoU on the Three-Step Road Map for Expediting the Bhutan-China Boundary Negotiation,” according to Bhutanese Foreign Ministry press release.

Dorji’s current visit to Beijing comes in the backdrop of remarks by Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering in March this year that Bhutan hopes to complete the demarcation of territories with China within one or two meetings.

“We do not encounter major border problems with China, but certain territories are not yet demarcated. We still have to discuss it and draw a line,” Dr Tshering told Belgian newspaper La Libre in an interview published during his visit to Brussels in March this year.

As Tshering’s remarks raised concerns in India c