Bhutan-China border demarcation talks “inching” towards completion: Bhutan PM Tshering Premium

Bhutan, China inching towards boundary demarcation; talks include possible exchange of Doklam, areas to North. PM Tshering confirms India in loop on negotiations, says Bhutan seeks to make both India, China happy. King’s visit to Delhi in April discussed boundary talks, SEZ in Gelephu; PM Tshering speaks of re-election prospects.

With a month remaining in his current tenure, Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering says he hopes for another round of border talks with China and the possibility of completing the demarcation of the boundary between both countries. In an exclusive interview to The Hindu here, Dr. Tshering, who will hand over charge to a caretaker government in November ahead of general elections due by January-end, confirmed that a possible exchange agreement between land to Bhutan’s North that is under Chinese control, with Bhutan’s Doklam area, was amongst proposals being discussed. The agreement is of particular concern to India due to its proximity with India’s Siliguri corridor or “chicken’s neck” that connects to the North Eastern states. 

When asked about whether India was in the loop on the negotiations, Dr. Tshering said that it would be in Bhutan’s interest to make sure both India and China are happy with the decisions it makes. “We obviously do not want to solve one problem and give birth to another problem,” he added. He also clarified, for possibly the first time, that the “3-Step Roadmap” signed between Bhutan and China in October 2021 comprises first agreeing to the demarcation of the border in talks on the table, after which the two sides would visit the sites along the demarcated line on the ground, before finally and formally demarcating the boundary between them. “We hope to see a line being drawn- this side Bhutan and that side China. We don’t have that right now,” Dr. Tshering told The Hindu. He did not indicate however, whether a boundary settlement would change Bhutan’s present policy against diplomatic relations with UNSC permanent members including China. “Theoretically, how can Bhutan not have any bilateral relations with China? The question is when, and in what manner,” Mr. Tshering said.

Speaking about Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s visit to Delhi in April, where he discussed the boundary talks and a number of other issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bhutanese Prime Minister said that India had also been briefed on Bhutan’s plan to build a special economic zone at Gelephu city, along the border with Assam. India is discussing a railway line extending from Kokrajhar to Gelephu which would supplement connectivity for the new Bhutanese  “smart city” project which hopes to attract hundreds of international companies and investment for the country. 

When asked about the current diplomatic standoff between India and Canada over the killing of a Khalistan separatist leader, Mr. Tshering said that it was “unfortunate”, but that he was not privy to the details and preferred not to comment. “If there’s any element of terrorism in a country, my answer is simple- no one should favour or support terrorism,” he added, when asked about India’s concerns over extremist groups in Canada.

Bhutan and China are “inching” towards the completion of a 3-step roadmap that will completely demarcate their boundary, including marking territory along the Doklam plateau, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said in an interview at the Prime Minister’s Office in Thimphu.

The talks, that the Bhutanese PM confirmed include a possible exchange between Doklam and areas to Bhutan’s North, have been watched with keen interest from Delhi, especially given the 2017 Doklam standoff between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. These talks with China could even see progress within the next month, Dr. Tshering said, after which a caretaker government will assume charge in Bhutan before the elections, expected by January-end.

Dr. Tshering also spoke about the Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s plans for a special economic zone in Gelephu, and his own prospects for re-election given Bhutan’s current economic challenges. Excerpts: