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Beijing. Bhutan and China on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to settle the border dispute. Under this agreement, both the countries will try to resolve the border dispute under a road map. India has given a very ‘cautious’ response to this issue.
Bhutan’s Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji and China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Jinangho signed this MoU during a virtual event. China’s ambassador to India Sun Weidong and Bhutan’s envoy to India Major General Wetsopp Namgyel were also present at the event.
Speaking to the press, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi has said- ‘The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between China and Bhutan is in our knowledge. You are aware that Bhutan and China have been conducting border talks since 1984. Similarly, India is also negotiating the border with China.’ However, Bagchi did not answer whether Bhutan had informed India before signing this MoU or not.
Given the very close relations between the two countries, it is believed that Bhutan must have informed India about this decision. Experts say that India’s ‘cautious’ reaction on this issue is understandable because at this time India itself is facing China. Along the Line of Actual Control is embroiled in a dispute. But India’s eyes are on every step of China.
Actually, this agreement has come about four years after the dispute between China and India in Doklam. In the month of June 2017, the Chinese army started road construction in this area. Extending a helping hand towards Bhutan, the Indian Army reached Doklam and stopped the road construction work. After this, the armies of both the countries were stationed in the same position for 73 days. After diplomatic talks, the standoff ended in August, but relations between the two countries cooled down.
