[Music] these satellite images show Chinese settlements on the territory of Bhutan a tiny Kingdom in the Himalayas The Villages sprouting in the north of the country pose a security challenge to India some Regional experts say they could be part of beijing's pressure tactics to make Bhutan give up a strategic area in the west of the country that would expose a major Geographic vulnerability for India a key land Corridor known as the chicken neck Bhutan overlook this tiny Bridge of land about 20 km across which connects uh the main part of India with India's Northeastern territories over the last few years China has built military facilities roads and buildings in Northern Bhutan here's why China is quietly expanding into its neighbor's territory Bhutan is just half the size of South Carolina yet it is strategically important to both of its powerful neighbors it's historically an ally of India and it has a long-standing border dispute with China which claims at least three major areas of Bhutan and the claim on this area in the west known as the duckland plateau puts India on edge in 2017 New Delhi and Beijing nearly went to war when Beijing tried to extend a road in this remote territory bordering China's Tibet it's a high point that would give China ability to oversee see India's movement through the Siliguri Corridor the chicken neck Robert Barnett is an expert on China Tibet border issues he and his colleagues were the first to identify early Chinese constructions in the north of Bhutan in 2016 Bonnet says the area could be a bargaining chip to get the dockin plateau the China says we will give up our claim to these areas in the north if you give us what we want in the west so this is how China creates pressure in negotiation beijing's expansion in the north of Bhutan started three decades ago with a single Hut for four Tibetan herders according to Chinese officials China's claim to this area was that these Tibetan herders were living in this one and now we see that new Villages have emerged here this is extremely difficult territory to live in especially in the rainy season that's why this area has never been settled before except by Hermits and monks and llamas China has built a network of Roads linking at least four quickly expanding Villages as well as constructions that look like military installations here's a zigzag road that goes to the top of a hill and on top of that mountain is a building uh we don't know what it's there for but it presumably some kind of military listening device over the last few years China has been encouraging more of its citizens to relocate to the new Villages last December Chinese authorities showed photos of of residents of newly built homes holding portraits of the country's leader what's very extraordinary about this is that these building is getting faster and faster and more and more buildings are cropping up it's possible that China has decided it has military Advantage from holding this area in other words it's not just a pressure tactic to force Bhutan to give up dolam it's also an opportunity for China to set up military listening posts south of the MERS uh which will give it advantage over India in late March India's prime minister visited Bhutan to shore up ties with the kingdom as Beijing tries to increase its influence there Bhutan doesn't have formal diplomatic ties with China but recently the two neighbors have been intensifying their dialogue in October 2023 the bhutanese foreign minister visited Beijing as a result the two sides expressed their Mutual desire to complete border walks as soon as possible some Chinese experts on the region previously said New Delhi had hindered bhutan's and China's efforts to settle their border disputes India is extremely concerned about the dolam plateau Bhutan and India have a treaty 2007 which says that Bhutan has to respect security needs of India so Bhutan can't easily give up dolam if India objects and India has objected Beijing said the purpose of its infrastructure construction on what what it called the Chinese side of the China Bhutan border area is to improve people's livelihood and has nothing to do with the China Bhutan border negotiations India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn't respond to requests for comment on whether New Delhi considers China's expansion in Northern Bhutan as a threat bhutan's Embassy in New Delhi said it doesn't comment on the ongoing border talks between bhan and China bid added that the government of Bhutan will always uphold and Safeguard the country's territorial interest during the boundary negotiations some people think the bunes have already given up those claims to those areas but we have to wait and see Bran's just had an election so there's a new prime minister he's much closer to India than the previous government was uh so there may be a slight change in tactics but overall it looks like China has realized there is no way that Bhutan can give it dolam therefore it looks like China expects to hold on to that territory in the north and it looks as if Bhutan will have to just give up that claim that it's had for many centuries probably in that area
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