India’s Foreign Secretary recently made a two-day visit to Bhutan, just a week after Bhutan and China held boundary negotiations. The discussions between India and Bhutan were described as having “positive outcomes” and an “expanding partnership” by India’s ambassador to Bhutan.
The boundary negotiations between Bhutan and China are significant for India, as they involve talks over the Doklam area which overlooks India’s strategic “chicken neck” region. In 2017, the Indian and Chinese armies had a face-off in Doklam for two months. Additionally, China has recently claimed the Sakteng Sanctuary in Bhutan, which borders India’s sensitive Arunachal Pradesh region.
