After Doklam standoff, Army Chief, NSA and Foreign Secretary secretly visited Bhutan. Here's why
Why Army Chief, NSA and Foreign Secretary secretly visited Bhutan: The inside story
The visit came after reports from intelligence agencies that soldiers from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) were seen patrolling areas which are under Bhutan's control
In a rare visit, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval quietly travelled to Bhutan earlier this month where they held extensive talks with the Bhutanese leadership on key strategic issues including the situation in Doklam, government sources said.
The visit came after reports from intelligence agencies that soldiers from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) were seen patrolling areas which are under Bhutan's control.
According to intelligence agencies, the Chinese Army has been holding intrusive patrolling in areas near Doklam like Lhariong, Sarithang, Sinchulumpa and Pangka La; the PLA has also been conducting fighter and helicopter reconnaissance sorties over the areas.
Despite the onset of winters, the PLA was continuing with force consolidation in western sector, the intelligence agencies said. Apart from the field defences constructed north of Doklam, the PLA has also erected around 25 small to medium size tents alongside open communication trenches in the area, they said.
A PLA observation post with Chinese flag was been observed in the area, the intelligence agencies said adding that Chinese soldiers continue to ferry troops and logistics supplies towards Doka La cutting past Bhutan's claim line, the Sinche La ridge.
Sources said that during the visit by the Army Chief and top officials on February 6 and 7, India and Bhutan reviewed bilateral security and defence cooperation with focus on China's increasing military posturing and infrastructure development around the Doklam plateau.
The visit by General Rawat, Doval and Gokhale was the first by top Indian officials from India to Bhutan after the Doklam standoff, and was kept under wraps by the Bhutanese and Indian sides.
The visit came three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay on the sidelines of an investors' summit in Guwahati. The sources said the Bhutanese side apprised the Indians of the status of boundary talks between Bhutan and China, and emphasised that Thimphu wants peace in the Doklam tri-junction.
Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped construction of a road at the disputed Doklam tri-junction by the Chinese army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off ended on August 28.
China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the dispute in the area.
India has argued that it has a say in the issue, especially in the backdrop of a 2012 agreement between special representatives of the two countries, that have till now held 20 rounds of talks. Bhutan has no diplomatic ties with China. As a close friend and neighbour, Bhutan enjoys diplomatic and military support from India.