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China-India relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China and Bhutan reach deal on Himalayan border talks ‘in test for India’

  • Beijing and Thimphu agree on road map but give no details of the steps ahead
  • China’s move could be an attempt to hit back at countries that have accused it of aggression in the area, analyst says

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China and Bhutan have agreed to expedite border talks. Photo: Shutterstock
Amber Wang
China has signed an agreement with Bhutan to speed up talks on their disputed border, in an apparent effort to put pressure on India over their unresolved Himalayan frontiers.
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In an online ceremony on Thursday, China and Bhutan signed a memorandum of understanding on a “three-step road map” for expediting the Bhutan-China boundary negotiations, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.

Chinese assistant foreign minister Wu Jianghao said the document would speed up the negotiations between the two countries and advance the process of establishing diplomatic relations.

Bhutan’s foreign ministry said the agreement would give fresh impetus to the boundary talks and bring them to a “successful conclusion that is acceptable to both sides”.

Neither country gave details of the deal.

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Explained: the history of China’s territorial disputes

Explained: the history of China’s territorial disputes

Bhutan’s border with China is over 400km (250 miles) long and Bhutan is the only one of China’s neighbours with which it does not have diplomatic ties.

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