India’s army chief secretly visits Bhutan

India has not trusted China with regard to the agreement reached on encroachment of Doklam plateau in Bhutan and it is taking every possible steps to ensure the northern giant does not come in again.

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval quietly travelled to Bhutan on February 6-7 on a rare visit during which they held extensive talks with the top brass of the Bhutanese leadership on strategic issues including the situation in Doklam, sources say.

The visit came three days after Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay held talks with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of an investors’ summit in Guwahati where Tobgay was also inaugurating new Bhutanese Consulate Office.

The two sides reviewed bilateral security and defence cooperation issues with a focus on China’s increasing military posturing and infrastructure development in the key Doklam plateau.

The Bhutanese side briefed Indian visitors about update on the boundary talks with China and stressed the interest of Thimphu to maintain peace at the tri-junction.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam in June with Indian sides claiming China intruded Bhutanese territory. The face-off ended on August 28.

Despite several years of border talks, China and Bhutan failed to resolve the border dispute. Some sections of the Bhutanese citizens decry foul lay by India that staggered border talks.

Bhutan has no diplomatic ties with China and any effort to build relation with China is taken as treason by Indian establishment.