China Builds Villages in Disputed Bhutanese Territory Amidst Border Talks

China is said to be continuing the construction of border villages within the contested territory with Bhutan, despite ongoing border negotiations between the two nations. According to reports from the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Sunday, at least three villages have been erected in the mountainous area that divides the two countries, with some experiencing significant expansion in size.

Quoting ruling Chinese Communist Party officials, the report highlights that the rapid expansion initially commenced as a poverty alleviation initiative but has since taken on a dual role in national security. As per the report, within a remote village nestled in the Himalayas, situated within a border area historically contested by China and Bhutan, 18 prospective Chinese residents are poised to occupy their newly constructed residences.

On December 28, the first group of individuals, comprising 38 households from the Tibetan city of Shigatse, arrived at the recently expanded Tamalung village. Each individual carried a freshly framed portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the dimensions large enough to only reveal their heads and lower legs, as detailed in a statement provided by the Tibet Federation of Industry and Commerce on its WeChat account. Behind them, a vibrant red banner extended a warm welcome in both Chinese and Tibetan script, according to the report.

The Tamalung village is among a minimum of three constructed by China within the contested area. The report highlights that local administrations in the Tibet Autonomous Region spearheaded a swift expansion of border villages throughout the previous year, with Tamalung's size doubling in the latter part of 2023. Satellite imagery obtained from US-based Maxar Technologies, captured seven days prior to the residents' relocation, reveals the presence of 147 newly erected houses.

The village expansion was designed to accommodate 235 households, in addition to the 200 people who were living there in just 70 homes at the end of 2022. China has been pressing ahead with its plans to build well-furnished villages in both the Indian and Bhutan borders. Significantly, China is pressing ahead with its border villages plan along its disputed border with Bhutan after the two countries signed a Cooperation Agreement outlining the Responsibilities and Functions of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the Bhutan-China Boundary in October last year.

The agreement was formalized during the visit of Bhutanese Foreign Minister Dr. Tandi Dorji, who engaged in discussions with China's former Ambassador to India and the current Vice Foreign Minister, Sun Weidong, during the 25th Round of Boundary Talks between the two nations. Despite lacking formal diplomatic relations, China and Bhutan uphold communication channels through occasional visits by officials.