 "China in Doklam: Beijing builds 22 villages, takes 2% of Bhutan's territory")
China has established at least 22 villages and settlements over the past eight years in territory traditionally considered part of Bhutan, with eight of these villages constructed near the strategically important Doklam plateau since 2020, according to satellite imagery cited by the Hindustan Times on Wednesday. This comes as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attended the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary issue in Beijing on the same day.
The eight villages situated in Bhutan's western sector near Doklam are strategically positioned either within or on ridges overlooking a valley claimed by China, with several located close to Chinese military outposts or bases, said the report. Among the 22 villages identified by observers and researchers, the largest is Jiwu, reportedly constructed on a traditional Bhutanese pastureland known as Tshethangkha, also within the western sector.
Why do China's recent actions in Doklam raise concerns for India?
The location of these villages has raised concerns among China watchers in New Delhi, particularly because a strengthened Chinese presence in this strategic area could heighten the vulnerability of the Siliguri Corridor—commonly referred to as the "chicken’s neck"—a narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its northeastern states, explained the report.
Doklam, which was the site of a 73-day standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in 2017, saw New Delhi intervene to block the construction of a road and other infrastructure that would have allowed China access to the southernmost part of the plateau.
While frontline forces from both sides withdrew after the standoff, satellite imagery cited by a number of reports in recent years has revealed increased Chinese construction activity around Doklam.
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The Hindustan Times reported that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had not responded to a request for comment on the development at the time of publication.
What is Bhutan’s position on China’s activities within its territory?
In recent years, Bhutanese authorities have reportedly denied the existence of Chinese settlements within Bhutan's territory. In 2023, former prime minister Lotay Tshering sparked controversy when he told a Belgian newspaper that the Chinese facilities "are not in Bhutan."
The Hindustan Times also reported that Bhutan had not responded to queries on the matter at the time of publication.
How much of Bhutan's territory has been taken by China?
Since 2016, when China established its first village in territory traditionally regarded as part of Bhutan, it has constructed 22 villages and settlements with approximately 2,284 residential units, relocating nearly 7,000 people to previously uninhabited areas within Bhutan. This information was reported by the Hindustan Times, citing a recent study by Robert Barnett, a research associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
According to the report, titled Forceful Diplomacy: China’s Cross-Border Villages in Bhutan, China has seized approximately 825 square kilometres of land that was previously within Bhutan’s borders, accounting for just over 2 per cent of the country’s territory. Additionally, China has moved an unspecified number of officials, construction workers, border police, and military personnel into these settlements, all of which are connected by roads to Chinese towns.
Since early 2023, seven new settlements have been constructed, marking a significant acceleration in the scale and pace of development within the annexed areas, according to the report. It also noted that three of these villages are slated for upgrades to towns.
Barnett, the report’s author, stated that China’s efforts in Bhutan’s western sector have primarily aimed at acquiring and securing the Doklam plateau and its surrounding regions. The eight villages in the western sector form a 36-kilometre line running north to south, with an average distance of 5.3 kilometres between each settlement. These villages were built in a region that, as historians note, was ceded to Bhutan by Tibet’s then ruler in 1913.
What is the expert opinion on China’s activities in Bhutan?
Ashok Kantha, who served as India’s envoy to Beijing from 2014 to 2016 and is an honorary fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies, stated to the Hindustan Times that China’s construction of villages within Bhutanese territory breaches the 1998 agreement between the two nations on maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas.
Kantha described these developments as part of China’s strategy of “incrementally and systematically changing facts on the ground”. He likened this approach to China’s activities in the South China Sea, where artificial features were created and militarised. “Bhutan is unable to challenge these actions due to the significant power imbalance,” he explained. “This reflects China’s typical behaviour of asserting its claims, disregarding prior commitments and the perspectives of other countries, and facing no real consequences,” Kantha added.
He further emphasised that these actions are particularly concerning for India as they occur in a sensitive region near the Siliguri Corridor.
Robert Barnett told the Hindustan Times that the key concern for India in these developments revolves around the Doklam issue. Bhutan, which is obligated by treaty to uphold India’s security interests, has asserted that resolving the Doklam issue would require a trilateral approach rather than a decision made solely by Bhutan. As a result, any resolution on Doklam is unlikely to exclude India’s involvement, according to Barnett.
Barnett expressed a larger concern, pointing out that, in the long term, the key issue is whether China’s use of intense pressure—essentially force—might succeed in pulling Bhutan out of India’s sphere of influence and aligning it with Beijing. He observed that Bhutan seems to have already surrendered substantial territory to China, a development India was unable to stop.
Looking ahead, he said, “It seems inevitable that Bhutan will eventually allow China to establish an embassy in Thimphu, which would pave the way for increased trade with China.” He added, “Ultimately, this contest between Chinese and Indian influence in Bhutan will likely be decided by which side can win over the Bhutanese people and deliver tangible benefits to them.”
What are the latest developments in India-China relations?
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, serving as India's Special Representative (SR) on the India-China boundary issue, participated in the 23rd SR meeting in Beijing on Wednesday, according to agency reports. He met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who is a Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China.
Relations between India and China have deteriorated significantly over the past four years, reaching their lowest point since the 1962 border conflict. This decline was triggered by a military standoff in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that began in April-May 2020. However, on October 21, 2024, both nations reached an agreement that enabled the disengagement of frontline forces at Demchok and Depsang, the two remaining "friction points" along the LAC.
Following this, on October 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of a BRICS Summit in Russia. During this meeting, they agreed to revive mechanisms to address the border dispute and work towards normalising bilateral ties.
As decided during the leaders' meeting in Kazan on October 23, the SR talks were to focus on managing peace and tranquillity in the border areas and exploring a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution to the boundary issue.