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Bhutan is located
in the eastern Himalayas bordered by India in the south, east and
west and by the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China in the north.
It has an area of 46,500 Sq. Km. between latitudes 26 45 0
North and 28 10 0 North and between longitudes 88
45 0 east and 92 10 0 east. At its
longest east-west dimension, Bhutan stretches around 300
kilometres and it measures 170 kilometre at its maximum
north-south dimension. Bhutan shares about 1075 km of land
boundaries with its neighbours - China 470 km, India 605 km.
A sandwiched
Bhutan, is geo-strategically
located between two giant nations of Asia - China in the north and
India in the south. Bhutan maintains an excellent and friendly
relationship with India. Both countries maintain diplomatic
establishment at each others’ capital. Bhutan’s foreign relation
is overtly ‘Indo-centric’.
Contrary to it,
Bhutan does not have any diplomatic ties with the People’s
Republic of China, despite sharing a contiguous northern boundary
of 470 Kilometres.
Bhutan never had an 'equi-proximity' or 'equi-distance'
foreign policy towards its giant neighbour. Bhutan’s relationship
with China can be described as ‘indifferent’. However, in recent
years, exchange of visits at various levels between the two
have significantly increased. This new interactions can be largely
ascribed to the on-going border talks between Bhutan and China
started since 1984. Bhutan’s border with China is largely
un-demarcated, or remains unresolved. Bhutan is eager to resolve
its boundary disputes with China quietly and amicably. Thus,
Bhutan’s
China relation is centred around the resolution of border
disputes.
Until seventies,
Bhutan’s border issues with China were incorporated with in the
scope of Sino-Indian border discussions. Later China and Bhutan
started direct bilateral border talk in early eighties. The
Sino-Bhutan direct border talk was held first time in Beijing in
1984.
Bhutan had
traditional trade relation with Tibet. However, Bhutan closed its
northern borders with China after the influx of Tibetan
refugees in 1960. With that the age old cross-border trade came to
a halt. Since then, there has been no official trade or business
relation between Bhutan and China.
Bhutan voted in favor of restoring China's
seat in the United Nations
in 1971.
Bhutan invited
Chinese Ambassador to
India, to attend the coronation ceremony of
His Majesty
KIng
Jigme Singye Wangchuk
in 1974.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Xueqian and Bhutanese
Foreign Minister Dawa Tsering held consultations on
developing bilateral relations
in New York
in 1983.
Bhutan also
supported
China in
the
United Nations Human Rights Conference. Bhutan opposed
Taiwan's
bid
to host the 2002 Asian Games. Bhutan
was
Vice-Chairman
of the 55th UN General Assembly
Meeting. It voted
against
the
draft on Taiwan's participation in the UN.
BHUTAN-CHINA AGREEMENT
Bhutan and China signed an
Agreement to Maintain Peace and Tranquillity on the Bhutan-China
Border in 1998 during the Twelfth round
of bilateral border talk. This could be
the first Sino-Bhutanese agreement or treaty till today.
The
Agreement “reiterates
its position to fully respect the independence, sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Bhutan”. In comparison,
Indo-Bhutan Treaty 1949 does not
mention anything about the sovereignty of Bhutan.
BHUTAN-CHINA AGREEMENT
ON MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND TRANQUILITY
ALONG THE SINO-BHUTANESE BORDER AREAS,
1998
Agreement between the
Government of the people's Republic of China and the Government of
the Kingdom of Bhutan on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity
Along the Sino-Bhutanese Border Areas
The Government of the People's Republic of China and the
Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan, in accordance with the five
principles of mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and
territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual
non-interference in each other's internal affairs and peaceful
co-existence and for the purpose of maintaining peace and
tranquility along the Sino-Bhutanese border, have reached the
following agreements:
Article 1
Both sides hold the view that all countries big or small, strong
or weak are equal and should respect one another. The Chinese side
reaffirmed that it completely respects the independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bhutan. Both sides stand
ready to develop their good-neighborly and friendly cooperative
relations on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful
Co-Existence.
Article 2
Both sides are of the view that during the ten rounds of talks
that have been held so far, they have reached consensus on the
guiding principles on the settlement of the boundary issues and
narrowed their differences on the boundary issues in the spirit of
mutual accommodation, mutual trust and cooperation and through
friendly consultations. The mutual understanding and traditional
friendship between the two countries have been deepened. Both
sides stand ready to adhere to the above-mentioned spirit and make
joint efforts for an early and fair solution of the boundary
issues between the two countries.
Article 3
Both sides agreed that prior to the ultimate solution of the
boundary issues, peace and tranquillity along the border should be
maintained and the status quo of the boundary prior to March 1959
should be upheld, and not to resort to unilateral action to alter
the status quo of the border.
Article 4
Both sides reviewed the progress made after ten rounds of border
talks. As both sides have already expounded each other's stand on
the disputed areas, both sides agreed to settle this issue through
friendly consultations.
Article 5
This agreement will come into force on the date of signing.
This agreement was signed on December 8, 1998 in Beijing, done in
two copies in the Chinese, Bhutanese and English languages, all
three languages are authentic. If differences arise, the English
text will be the standard text.
Tang Jiaxuan
Jigme Thinley
(Signed) (Signed)
Representative of the
Representative of
the of the
of the People 's
Government
of the Kingdom of Bhutan
Republic of
China
Agreement between the Government of the people's Republic of China
and the Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan on the Maintenance of
Peace and Tranquility Along the Sino-Bhutanese Border Areas(2001-11-06)
BORDER TALKS
Bhutan shares
boundary of 470 Kilometers with China in the north. It has
unresolved border dispute with China in the north. In
September,1959 Chinese Premier Mr. Chou-En-Lai wrote to Indian
Prime Minister Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru expressing desire for a direct
bilateral border talk with Bhutan. He wished to take the boundary
question between Bhutan and China out of the scope of Sino-Indian
border talks. Bhutan for the first time went alone for border
talks with China in 1980. This was a major foreign policy
initiative for Bhutan. China also showed interest in establishing
residential diplomatic mission in Bhutan. China conveyed its
desire first in 1974 during the coronation of His Majesty King
Jigme Singye Wangchuck . Thereafter, China has been pushing this
proposals in every Sino-Bhutanese border talk since the first in
Beijing in 1984.
Articles on Bhutan .
In the past,
China had offered a package to Bhutan which included the
resolution of border dispute with the establishment of diplomatic
missions and trade relationship with Bhutan. On 27 June, 1997
during the question-answers session in the National Assembly
(Parliament) of Bhutan Lyonpo Om Pradhan, Minister for Trade and
Industry , who headed the first Sino-Bhutan border talk, informed
that the Chinese government had made proposals that the border
negotiations be based on the establishment of bilateral trade and
diplomatic relations.
Articles on Bhutan
The Tenth round
of Bhutan-China border talk was held in Beijing, in November,
1996. China proposed to exchange 495 sq km area of Pasamlung and
Jakarlung valleys in the northern borders of central Bhutan (which
China claims) for Sinchulumpa, Dramana and Shakhtoe with an area
of 269 sq km in the north-west Bhutan. Bhutan in principle
accepted the proposals as also reported by the BBC on July13,1997.
Sinchulumpa shares borders with Indian state of Sikkim, close to
Chumbi valley. Articles
on Bhutan .
The Eleventh
border talk was held in Thimphu in August 1997. There was no
final decision on the exchange of territories as discussed in
Tenth Talk.
Articles on Bhutan .
Twelfth round
of
bilateral border talk was held in Beijing on 12 December 1998.
The discussion were also held on the
establishment of diplomatic relations and trade relations between
two countries.
Bhutan and China signed an
Agreement to Maintain Peace and Tranquillity on the Bhutan-China
border in 1998. This could be the first Sino-Bhutanese agreement
or treaty till today. There was no final
decision on the exchange of territories as discussed in Tenth
Talk. Peoples'
review
The Thirteenth
round of boundary talk was held in Thimphu in 1999.
The Fourteenth
round of boundary talk was held in Beijing, China in November
2000. Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said that China and Bhutan are
good-neighbourly countries, and the two countries had close
contacts in the past, adding that Sino-Bhutanese relations have
developed steadily since the two countries signed an agreement on
the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border area in
1998.
People Daily China .
During this round of talk,
Bhutan had extended the claim line of the border beyond what the
Chinese government had offered. Bhutan had also proposed technical
discussions, using maps, between experts from the two sides. His
Majesty the King told the National
Assembly of Bhutan on 14 July, 2001
that the proposed
extension of the border along the three sectors under discussion
were in Doglam, Sinchulumba, and Dramana areas. His Majesty
expressed his confidence that, Bhutan being a small country and
China being a very large and friendly neighbour, the demarcation
of the boundary would be completed successfully in the near
future.
Kuenselonline
The Fifteenth
round of boundary negotiations was held in Thimphu, Bhutan on the
last week of November 2001. Chinese delegation was led by Vice
Foreign Minister, Mr. Wang Yi.. Bhutan’s foreign minister, Lyonpo
Jigmi Thinley, led the Bhutanese delegation in the talks, which
was the 15th round since it began in 1984. The talk focused on
the international boundary between the two countries. The border
talks have been alternating between the two capitals, Thimphu and
Beijing.
The Chinese Vice
Foreign Minister, Mr. Wang Yi. Said, “ As China and Bhutan are
neighbouring countries, with shared mountains and rivers, we
should first of all achieve mutual understanding and, on the basis
of mutual understanding, we can achieve mutual support and mutual
confidence and mutual assistance. We have made a lot of
achievements in this regard. We will work on this basis to make
further progress.” He added. “It is my view that what counts most
is that we must continue the process and, during this process,
enhance the mutual understanding so we can work together to remove
the outstanding relatively minor issues.” Kuenselonline.
His Majesty King
Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan and visiting Chinese Vice Foreign
Minister Wang Yi held talks on bilateral ties. While praising the
improvement of Bhutan-China relations over the past few years, His
Majesty the King said he hoped that the two countries would
increase their exchanges in various fields and create sound
conditions for an eventual resolution of the border issue.
People Daily China .
On 04 July
2002, the
Bhutanese foreign minister informed the National Assembly of
Bhutan that the Chinese claimed to have documentary evidence on
the ownership of the disputed tracts of land. When Bhutan asked
them to be generous with a small neighbour like Bhutan they said
that, as a nation which shared its border with 25 other countries
they could not afford to be generous with one particular
neighbour. The Chinese government had
also identified three aims for the successful resolution of this
problem: to understand each other’s interests and come to a
decision that would best benefit both countries; to trust each
other; to seek solutions that had long-term benefits. So far the
biggest success of the Sino-Bhutan discussions had been the
signing of an “interim agreement”, the first between the two
countries, to build trust and confidence. The agreement, between
two independent and sovereign nations which shared mutual respect
and understanding, was signed to help solve the border issue in an
atmosphere of friendship and understanding. The foreign minister
said that, after the agreement was signed, the Chinese government
had responded immediately to the problem of the mule track and
timber extraction in Pasamlum. The agreement also helped settle
the complaints that Tibetans crossing into Bhutan searching for
the medicinal herb, Yartsa Guenbub, were given severe and
unwarranted punishment at Pasamlum by the Bhutanese border
security. The two countries had agreed on most issues until the
14th and 15th meetings. The foreign minister said that the Chinese
government, including their prime minister, were unhappy and
questioned why Bhutan was raising new issues after many years of
boundary talks. “It was agreed, therefore, that we bring in the
technical experts to decide which part of the territory was ours
and which part was theirs and to depict the claims on a map,” said
the foreign minister. “We also agreed to use the common names of
the disputed areas to avoid confusion.”
His Majesty the
King explained to the members of National Assembly that there
were, basically, four disputed areas between Bhutan and China.
Starting from Doklam in the west the border goes along the ridges
from Gamochen to Batangla, Sinchela, and down to the Amo Chhu. The
disputed area in Doklam covered 89 square kilometers. The
disputed areas in Sinchulumpa and Gieu covered about 180 sq. km.
The boundary line in this area starts from Langmarpo Zam and goes
along the stream up to Docherimchang and up the ridge to Gomla
from where it goes along the ridge to Pangkala and then down to
the Dramana stream. From Dramana the boundary goes up to Zingula
and then follows the ridge line down to Gieu Chhu from where it
goes to Lungkala. In the middle sector in Pasamlum, the boundary
goes along the ridge to Dompala and to Neula. From Neula the
boundary follows the ridge line to Kurichhu Tshozam, and then
follows the ridge line to Genla from where it goes to Mela and
onwards to the east.
Kuenselonline .
The Sixteenth
round of China-Bhutan boundary talks were held in Beijing, China
on 12 October, 2002. Bhutanese Foreign Minister Lyonpo Jigme
Yoeser Thinley met Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji. Chinese Premier
said that China and Bhutan are resolving their boundary issues
through mutual understanding and reconciliation and the 16 rounds
of talks to date had achieved successes. He said that China-Bhutan
relations had developed smoothly in recent years and the border
areas had remained peaceful. He further said that China
appreciated the Bhutanese government's support on the issues like
Taiwan and human rights, and hoped to develop cooperative
relations based on the principle of equality, mutual benefit and
non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
Thinley said
Bhutan and China should further promote mutual understanding
between the two peoples. Thinley reiterated Bhutan's consistent
stand on the issues of Taiwan and human rights and emphasized that
Bhutan would continue to firmly support China on the issues.
Before the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan held
talks with Thinley on bilateral relations and other international
and regional issues of common concern. Wang Yi, Vice-Minister of
Foreign Affairs, held official talks with Thinley on boundary
issues.
Xinhuanet, 14 Oct 2002 .
The 16th round of boundary
discussions between Bhutan and China have taken the two countries
yet another step towards a permanent solution, according to the
foreign minister, Lyonpo Jigmi Thinley, who returned on
October 23, 2002 after a 10-day visit to
China.
The seven-member
Bhutanese delegation, which included the home secretary, Dasho
Pema Wangchuk, and the Surveyor General, Sithar Namgyel, was
received in Beijing by the minister for foreign affairs, Mr. Tang
Jiaxuan. Lyonpo Jigmi Thinley also called on the Chinese premier,
Mr. Zhu Rongji. The official talks were held with vice minister
for foreign affairs, Mr. Wang Yi. The Bhutanese delegation also
visited places of historical and cultural interest in China,
including the autonomous region of Tibet.
Kuenselonline Oct 25/2002
BILATERAL VISITS
The Speaker of National
Assembly of Bhutan, Dasho Ugen Dorjee led an official delegation
to Tibet Autonomous Region on 22-25 April, 2002. He held
discussion with Chairman Raidi of the Standing Committee of the
People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
People Daily China .
On June 10-13,
2002, Bhutanese home secretary led the expert team to China for
the first meeting of the expert group.
Bhutan’s Foreign
Secretary Dasho Ugyen Tshering, led an official delegation to
China from July18 to 25 2001. The delegation comprised officials
from the ministry of trade and industry, ministry of
communications, ministry of agriculture and the ministry of
foreign affairs. The delegation held discussion with Chinese
Foreign Minister Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, and the Vice Minister of
foreign affairs Mr. Wang Yi. The delegation discussed Bhutan-China
border and other issues of mutual interest. The Chinese government
assured Bhutan that it treats all nations equally irrespective
of the differences in their size, strength or wealth.
Kuenselonline .
Bhutan's Foreign Minister
Lyonpo Jigme Yoeser Thinley
who visited Tibet on 19-22, October 2002 said that Bhutan and
China have enjoyed a long-term friendship, adding that he was
deeply impressed by the great changes taking place in Tibet. He
further said, " I appreciate China's efforts in the restoration
and protection of religious sites."
People Daily China, October 22, 2002
and
Xinuhanet October 21, 2002
China’s Ambassador to India, Mr Hua Junduo visited Bhutan on April
13 to 16, 2003. He
received an audience with His
Majesty the King on April 14. He met with the prime minister,
Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji, and the foreign minister, Lyonpo Jigmi Y
Thinley. The Ambassador said that, given the proximity
between China and Bhutan, there was great potential in the field
of trade and economic cooperation and as well as in the political
field. Source:
Kuensel
The
former vice foreign minister of the People’s Republic of China,
Liu Shuqing, led a seven-member delegation to Bhutan, from
September 14 to 18, 2003. Liu Shuqing said that the main
purpose of his visit was to “find ways to reinforce mutual
exchanges and cooperation”.
“We would like to see more visits by Bhutanese friends to China
whether for business, travel, study, or for exchanges with
Buddhists and religious practitioners in China,” Liu Shuqing said.
His Majesty the King and the Bhutanese Foreign Ministers were on
an official visit to India during the period of
September 14-18, 2003.
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