Bhutan–China relations

Bhutan has long had strong cultural, historical, religious, and economic connections to Tibet. Relations with Tibet were strained when China took over Tibet in the 1950s. Unlike Tibet, Bhutan had no history of being under the suzerainty of China but fell under British suzerainty during the British Raj following the Treaty of Punakha in 1910.

Bhutan's border with Tibet has never been officially recognized, much less demarcated. The Republic of China officially maintains a territorial claim on parts of Bhutan.[5] The territorial claim was maintained by the People's Republic of China after the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China in the Chinese Civil War. With the increase in soldiers on the Chinese side of the Sino-Bhutanese border after the 17-point agreement between the Tibetan government and the central government of the PRC, Bhutan withdrew its representative from Lhasa.[5][6][7]

The 1959 Tibetan uprising and the 14th Dalai Lama's arrival in neighboring India made the security of Bhutan's border with China a necessity for Bhutan. An estimated 6,000 Tibetans fled to Bhutan and were granted asylum, although Bhutan subsequently closed its border to China, fearing more refugees.[5][8]

Bhutan-China relations are constrained also by Bhutan's close relationship with India.[9] Nonetheless, relations with China have improved following China's Belt and Road Initiative.[10]^: 215 Generally, Bhutan seeks balance with its larger neighbors China and India in order to avoid dependency on either country.[10]^: 215

Bhutan has historical ties to Tibet through their culture, history, religion, and economy . However, their relationship became tense after Bhutan supported the British Empire and the British invasion of Tibet. With the signing of an agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Tibetan locals, and the deployment of troops on the border between China and Bhutan, Bhutan withdrew its representatives in the People's Republic of China from Lhasa.[11][12] After the 1959 Tibetan riots and the arrival of the Dalai Lama in neighbouring India, some 6,000 Tibetans fled to Bhutan and were granted asylum. Bhutan closed its border with China, afraid that there would be more refugees.[13]

The Indian government constrains Bhutan and needs India's approval when developing diplomatic relations with other countries. Bhutan has no diplomatic relations with any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. It is the only UN member state worldwide that has not established diplomatic relations with either the People's Republic of China or the Republic of China. It is the only country of the PRC's bordering neighbors that do not have diplomatic relations with them.

Mitigation

In 1974, Bhutan invited Ma Muming, Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in India, to attend the coronation of the fourth Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. In 1983, Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Xueqian and Bhutanese Foreign Minister Dawa Tsering held talks in New York on establishing bilateral relations. In 1984, China and Bhutan began direct negotiations on the border dispute.[16][17] Since then, the two countries have taken turns holding border meetings in their respective capitals.[18]

China and Bhutan signed a bilateral agreement on their border disputes at the 12th boundary meeting in 1998.[18] China reaffirmed its respect for Bhutan's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the agreement. The two sides also proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.[16][19][17][20] However, China later built roads in the territory claimed by Bhutan, and China was accused of violating the agreement and provoking tension. In 2002, China submitted some files to prove its sovereignty over the disputed land, and the two sides reached a provisional agreement after consultation.

In June 2012, then-Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Thinley, which was the first meeting between the two countries heads of government.

On October 14, 2021, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao and Bhutanese Foreign Minister Thandit Dorji signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the "Three-Step Roadmap" for accelerating the Sino-Bhutan border negotiations by video in Beijing and Thimphu, respectively.

Map of Bhutan showing border with China as of 2010

• Bhutan–India relations
• Five Fingers of Tibet, foreign policy of the PRC which calls for the annexation of, among other territories, Bhutan
• List of territorial disputes#Asia

• Nayak, Nihar R. (September 2021). Political Changes in Nepal and Bhutan Emerging Trends in Foreign Policy in Post 2008 Period (PDF). Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. ISBN 978-81-953957-1-2.
• Thierry, Mathou (2004). "Bhutan-China Relations: Towards a new Step in Himalayan Politics" (PDF). The Spider and the Piglet: Proceedings of the First Seminar on Bhutan Studies. Centre for Bhutan Studies: 388–411. doi:10.11588/XAREP.00002625. ISBN 99936-14-19-X.