According to analysts cited by Epardafas.com, China’s act of escalating territorial disputes may be an attempt by Beijing to ‘punish’ Bhutan for siding with India because Beijing believes that Thimphu’s foreign policy for their nation is impacted by New Delhi’s power and control.
Bhutan and China always had a positive relationship, but since Beijing seized Tibet in 1949, things have been tense. The issue got worse when Chinese leader Mao Zedong declared Bhutan to be part of his country. In addition to the illegal seizure of 300 square kilometres of Bhutanese territory, China’s new maps from 1954 and 1958 exacerbated concerns over Chinese intentions toward Bhutan.
India stepped up and provided assistance during that time by sending its Military Training Team (IMTRAT) to Bhutan in 1961 to teach the nation’s security forces, and it has since been doing so.
Both Bhutan and India benefit from their bilateral connections.
According to reports, India has made substantial contributions in a variety of fields, such as hydropower, trade, education, and socioeconomic growth.
India has served as a market for Bhutan’s exports, allowing Bhutan to earn money by consuming ferrosilicon, semi-finished goods, and hydroelectricity.
Sources reported that the major Indo-Bhutan relations have been related to Hydroelectricity generation as both have committed to developing a 10,000-megawatt hydroelectricity project in Bhutan. Although the development of the 720 MW Mangdechhu hydropower project is an achievement. This has propelled yet another project 600 MW Kholongchhu for hydroelectricity. This is to gather surplus hydroelectricity from Bhutan and export it to India which will generate employment and revenue for Bhutan.
India would provide grants totaling 4,500 crore rupees and a transitional trade support facility of 400 crore rupees in the area of education from 2018 to 2023, fostering closer economic ties. The launch of India-Bhutan satellite launch by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be providing real-time data and high resolutions images for land mapping and management of natural resources, as sources reported.
RuPay, the integration of Bhutan’s DrukREN with India’s national Knowledge Network, and the creation of ISRO’s Ground Earth Station to use South Asia Satellite are a few further initiatives that India and Bhutan have jointly started.
Bhutan has benefited from all of this in terms of trade, commerce, hydropower, security, intelligence sharing, education, culture, and technology.
Because of the 1949 Indo-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, which established the close ties between the two nations.
