Bhutan–People's Republic of China relations

Bilateral relations between the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and the People's Republic of China have been traditionally tense and strained and they do not maintain official diplomatic relations. [http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20080514&fname=bhutan&sid=1 A New Bhutan Calling] (May 14, 2008). OutlookIndia.com. Accessed 2008-05-30.] [http://www.bhutannewsonline.com/bhutan_china.html Bhutan-China relations] (July 05, 2004). BhutanNewsOnline.com. Accessed 2008-05-30.] [http://www.himalmag.com/2007/may/analysis_india_bhutan_relation.htm India and the upcoming Druk democracy] (May 2007). HimalMag.com. Accessed 2008-05-30.] China shares a contiguous border of 470 kilometres (km) with Bhutan to the north and its territorial disputes with Bhutan have also been source of potential conflict. Since the 1980s, both governments have conducted regular talks on border and security issues aimed at reducing tensions.

Background

Throughout history, Bhutan has had strong cultural, historical, religious and economic ties to Tibet. Ties with Tibet were strained when Bhutan sided with the British Empire in its war with Tibet. For a brief period, the Republic of China officially maintained a territorial claim on Bhutan. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+bt0079) Bhutan - China relations] Accessed 2008-05-30.] Unlike Tibet, Bhutan had no history of being under the suzerainty of China and had preserved its independence for centuries. The occupation of Tibet in 1951 by Communist China caused considerable tension within Bhutan, which feared Chinese aggression. [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JA12Ad02.html In Bhutan, China and India collide] (January 12, 2008). AsiaTimes.com. Accessed 2008-05-30.] [http://www.ipcs.org/printSouthAsiaArticle.jsp?action=showView&kValue=2540&status=article&keyArticle= Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies] (8 April 2008). IPCS.org. Accessed 2008-05-30.] Its border with China has never been officially recognized and demarcated and the popular uprisings against Communist China in Tibet in 1959 and the Dalai Lama's escape to India made security from China a key priority for Bhutan. An estimated 6,000 Tibetans fled to Bhutan and were granted asylum. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profile/54627.stm Bhutan: a land frozen in time] (February 9, 1998). BBC. Accessed 2008-05-30.]

Border issues

Along with the occupation of Tibet, the Chinese People's Liberation Army occupied eight western Tibetan enclaves under Bhutanese administration. A Chinese map published in 1961 showed China claiming territories in Bhutan, Nepal and the-then independent kingdom of Sikkim (now a state of India). Incursions by Chinese soldiers and Tibetan herdsmen also provoked tensions in Bhutan. Imposing a cross-border trade embargo and closing the border, Bhutan established extensive military ties with India. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War, Bhutanese authorities permitted Indian troop movements through Bhutanese territory. However, India's defeat in the war raised concerns about India's ability to defend Bhutan. Consequently, while building its ties with India, Bhutan officially established a policy of neutrality. According to official statements by the King of Bhutan to the National Assembly, there are four disputed areas between Bhutan and China, starting from Doklam in the west the border goes along the ridges from Gamochen to Batangla, Sinchela, and down to the Amo Chhu. The disputed area in Doklam covered 89 square kilometres (sq. km). The disputed areas in Sinchulumpa and Gieu covered about 180 sq. km.

Engagement

Until the 1970s, India represented Bhutan's concerns in talks with China over the broader Sino-Indian border conflicts. Obtaining membership in the United Nations in 1971, Bhutan began to assert a different course in its foreign policy. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+bt0078) Indo-Bhutanese relations] . (1991) "Library of Congress Country Studies" Accessed 2008-05-30.] In the U.N., Bhutan voted in favor of Communist China filling the seat occupied by Taiwan and openly supported the "One China" policy. In 1974 in a symbolic overture, Bhutan invited the Chinese ambassador to India to attend the coronation of Jigme Singye Wangchuk as the king of Bhutan. In 1983, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Xueqian and Bhutanese Foreign Minister Dawa Tsering held talks on establishing bilateral relations in New York. In 1984, China and Bhutan began annual, direct talks over the border dispute.

In 1998, China and Bhutan signed a bilateral agreement for maintaining peace on the border. In the agreement, China affirmed its respect for Bhutan's sovereignty and territorial integrity and both sides sought to build ties based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence. [http://bhutangazette.com/2007/06/07/growing-china-bhutan-relations-and-the-changing-strategic-equations-in-south-asia/ Bhutan Gazette] (June 7, 2007). BhutanGazette. Accessed 2008-05-30.] However, China's building of roads on the border in violation of the 1998 agreement has provoked tensions. In 2002, China presented claims of evidence regarding ownership of disputed tracts of land; after negotiations, an interim agreement was reached.

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