Bhutan, China Agree to ‘Maintain Momentum’ of Boundary Negotiations
New Delhi: Bhutan and China agreed to "maintain the momentum" of their boundary negotiations after concluding the Expert Group Meeting in Beijing on Wednesday (April 1), which was held after a gap of two years.
The meeting, held from March 30 to April 1, was co-chaired by Hou Yanqi, director general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Letho Tobdhen Tangbi, Bhutan's secretary of international boundaries.
A joint press release said the two sides had "frank and constructive discussions in a friendly atmosphere on the way forward to make further progress on the implementation of the Three-Step Roadmap". It said both sides agreed to "maintain the momentum of boundary negotiations" and hold the next expert group meeting in Bhutan at mutually convenient dates.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Joint Technical Team on Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary held its third meeting, focusing on boundary alignment in areas where the two sides do not have active disputes, in keeping with their Cooperation Agreement.
The expert group mechanism was established as part of the Three-Step Roadmap framework that Bhutan and China adopted to work toward a final boundary settlement.
At the 13th expert group meeting in Beijing in August 2023, both sides set up the Joint Technical Team and agreed to take simultaneous steps to implement the roadmap.
China claims roughly 764 square kilometres in the northwestern and central regions of Bhutan.
Bhutan does not have diplomatic relations with China, but direct boundary dialogues between Beijing and Thimphu began in 1984. So far, 25 rounds of boundary talks and 15 rounds of expert-level meetings have taken place.
The dispute carries significant implications for India. China's claims in western Bhutan include the Doklam plateau, which overlooks the Siliguri corridor, a narrow stretch connecting the Indian mainland to the northeast and commonly referred to as the Chicken's Neck.
India and China came close to open conflict over Doklam in 2017 after China began laying a road toward the strategically significant Jampheri ridge. India regards the plateau as undisputed Bhutanese territory.
Bhutan's then-prime minister Lotay Tshering said in 2023 that the tri-junction point involving India, China and Bhutan could not be settled by Bhutan and China alone.
“Doklam is a junction point between India, China and Bhutan. It is not up to Bhutan alone to fix the problem. There are three of us. There is no big or small country; all are three equal countries, each counting for one-third," Tshering had said.
He added that discussions on the tri-junction could only begin once India and China had resolved their own differences along their borders.
This article went live on April second, two thousand twenty six, at forty-four minutes past twelve at night.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
