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China has built a state-of-the-art village at least 1.5 kilometers from Bhutan’s international border and Chinese citizens live there permanently, a claim that has caused controversy in India.
The speculation began after a leading Chinese state journalist posted some photos of the alleged village on Twitter, although he later deleted the tweet.
Bhutan’s ambassador to India has already claimed that there are no Chinese villages within his country, but many international experts say that the village shown in the photo is actually in Bhutan.
Shen Xuewei is a senior journalist for CGTN, China’s state news agency. This whole story started with one of his tweets.
A few days ago, he posted some photos of a modern mountain village from his Twitter account and wrote: “We now have permanent residents in the newly built Panda Village.”
“This town is in the valley, 35 kilometers south of Yadong county.”
He also attached a map of the location of the village, showing that the village actually lies within the borders of Bhutan.
As you can see from the pictures, a modern village has been built on a river surrounded by mountains with modern architecture like the Swiss slate.
He later deleted the tweet, but many observers in India think that since Bhutan’s defense and foreign policy are the responsibility of India, the post is intended to send a message to China that it is capable of building permanent settlements within. from Bhutan.
Delhi has yet to officially comment on the matter, even former Indian diplomats are avoiding it.
At least two former Indian diplomats who have served as Bhutan’s ambassadors have said they do not want to comment.
In the words of former ambassador Pawan Verma, “I left Bhutan about seven years ago, so I really don’t know what the reality is, if China is doing something.”
Salman Haider, another former Indian ambassador to Thimphu, also said he had nothing to say.
The news that such a village has been built has made India uncomfortable, but it is clear.
However, Bhutan’s ambassador to Delhi, Major General V. Namgyel, said in a statement that there were no Chinese peoples within his country’s sovereign borders.
Tenzing Lamsang, editor of The Bhutanese newspaper, also tweeted that despite attempts to build a small road on the border with China, Bhutanese troops immediately reported it.
“But in this case, there is talk of building an entire village, but the army has not reported anything,” said Mr. Lamsang.
Bhutan strongly denies the accusations, but Brahma Chelani, a security expert in Delhi, believes India must be concerned.
In the words of Dr. Chelani, “the Chinese have invaded or entered a place within the territory of Bhutan, which is strategically very important for India.”
“The place may not be that important to Bhutan, so they want to send a message to India.”
“Previously, China also invaded Nepal and built villages in at least five border districts, where Han tried to bring Chinese from the mainland.”
“After Ladakh, Nepal, what they are doing now in Bhutan is part of a bigger Chinese plan in the Himalayan mountains, where they want to expand their control and borders,” Brahma Chelani said.
Three years ago, in the Doklama Valley on the Indo-Nepal-Bhutan border, where Indian and Chinese troops had clashed for months, the village of Panda is said to be only nine kilometers apart.
Nathan Rousseau, a satellite imagery expert associated with a think tank in Canberra, claims to have released multiple satellite images, not just near Doklam, but at least a mile and a half within Bhutan’s recognized territory.
Source: BBC
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