Bhutan’s FM coming today, China ties to figure in talks

Foreign Minister of Bhutan Lyonpo Damcho Dorji is arriving here on Tuesday to hold talks on strategic issues, just a fortnight after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-powered team including Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale travelled to the Himalayan kingdom. The issue attains considerable significance in the wake of Chinese build-up at the border tri-junction in Doklam and the Bhutanese government attempting to resolve the issue bilaterally with Beijing, without involving India.

The visit of India’s top security brass between February 6 and 7 came after Modi held talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay on the sidelines of an investors’ summit in Guwahati. Sources said the visit was aimed at to know details of the Bhutanese contacts with the Chinese leadership on the boundary issue. India had been opposed to any bilateral engagement on the boundary issue, insisting its involvement in any negotiations aimed to settle the Doklam tri-junction boundary issue.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in the region after the Indian side stopped the building of a road by the Chinese Army.