India-China Relation: A meeting was held on Wednesday (28 December 2024) regarding the restoration of bilateral relations after the agreement for withdrawal of troops of India and China in Eastern Ladakh. On one hand, while National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on the other hand, Dragon is not desisting from his tactics. China is busy settling villages around Doklam, which has traditionally been a part of Bhutan.
22 villages were constructed near Doklam
Satellite images have revealed that China has built at least 22 villages and settlements in this traditional area of Bhutan in the last eight years. The process of settling the villages around Doklam is continuing since 2020. So far 8 villages have been settled here. These villages built in the western region of Bhutan are very important strategically. These villages are adjacent to a valley, over which China claims its rights. Chinese military posts are very close from here.
China increased India’s tension
Of the 22 villages that China has built, the largest village is named Jivu, which is located on the traditional Bhutanese grassland Tsethankkha. This move of China has increased India’s tension. Due to strengthening of Chinese position in this region, the security of Siliguri Corridor (also known as Chicken Neck) may be in danger. This corridor connects India to the North-Eastern states.
In the year 2017, there was a standoff between the armies of India and China in Doklam for 73 days. India had intervened there to stop the construction of roads and other facilities. However, in the end the armies of both the countries retreated. Now for the last few years, China has once again increased the construction activity in the villages around Doklam. In recent years, Bhutanese officials had denied the presence of Chinese settlements in Bhutan’s territory.
7 thousand people transferred
According to a recent report by Robert Barnett, research fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), since 2016, when China first built a village in the area now considered part of Bhutan, Chinese authorities have built an estimated 2,284 residential Construction of 22 villages and hamlets with units has been completed. According to the report, China has also shifted about 7 thousand people here.
According to the report, China occupied about 825 square kilometers of area (which was inside Bhutan), which is a little more than 2 percent of the country. China has also sent an unknown number of officials, construction workers, border police and military personnel to these villages. All these villages are connected to China through road.