Tension between India and China escalated over the disputed Doklam on June 16, 2017, When Chinese troops tried to extend a border road through the Doklam area. Indian troops objected to it and the stand-off continued for a couple of months till Aug 28. The stand-off was resolved following mutual withdrawal of troops. The Indian Army is planning to institutionalise the key war committee that was created during the Doklam stand-off. Doklam is an area with a narrow plateau and a valley lying on the Bhutan-China border, near India. An area of strategic importance to all three countries, Doklam in Western Bhutan is disputed between China and Bhutan. India supports Bhutan’s claim.
The Bhutanese government told China that “the construction of the road inside Bhutanese territory is a direct violation of the agreements and affects the process of demarcating the boundary between our two countries.” On June 30, the Ministry of External Affairs said: “Such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India.”
The Chinese government released a map to accuse India of trespassing into its territory, and in a detailed statement in the first week of August, it said “India has no right to interfere in or impede the boundary talks between China and Bhutan.”
Picture Credit : Google