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NATION MAY 21, 2021 | The Indian Eye 8

China’s growing footprint in

the region is a new concern and

headache for India

Beijing has reportedly built an entire town, replete with roads and office buildings,

inside Bhutan; China eyeing more influence in Afghanistan as US prepares to leave

Our Bureau
New Delhi

he Indian Army on Sun-
day clarified that no “face-
Toff” had taken place be-
tween the armies of India and
China in the first week of May.
In a statement, the Army said
that the media report in question
published on Sunday had been
taken note of, and the article
seemed to be inspired by sources
“trying to derail the ongoing pro-
cess of early resolution of issues
in the region”.
It further requested media
professionals to clarify ‘actual
versions/positions’ on incidents
from authorized sources in the
Army and not base reports on
‘un-corroborated inputs from
third parties’. Indian Army chief MM Naravane on a two-day visit to review the operational readiness along the Northern Bor-
But few can deny that China ders of Arunachal Pardesh and security situation in the hinterland of NorthEast in Dimapur on Friday. (ANI Photo)
is becoming a big problem for
India in the region. China has der, which lies uninhabited and links to India and Beijing doesn’t by China before. Sakteng does
been gradually and stealthily in- sports wild terrain. even have an embassy in Bhutan. not even border China, reported
vading its tiny neighbor Bhutan With a population of just Called Gyalaphug, or Jielu- news.com.au.
for years now, reveals new re- 800,000 compared to China’s obu in Chinese, an administra- On the other side, as the US
search findings. 1.4 billion, “there is little Bhu- tion block at its center features continues to withdraw its troops
A paper published by journal tan can do” but watch as Beijing a hammer and sickle. A nearby from Afghanistan, several voices
Foreign Policy stated that China takes large gulps of its territory, banner proclaims “Resolutely in Washington, including some
has built an entire town, replete the research paper states. “This uphold the core position of Gen- from the Biden administration,
with roads, a power plant, two involves a strategy that is more eral Secretary Xi Jinping!” expressed concern over ‘serious
CPC buildings, a communica- provocative than anything Chi- It’s estimated several hun- consequences’ for the region af-
tions base, military and police na has done on its land borders dred people, and even more yaks, ter the Americans leave, espe-
outposts and a warehouse, al- in the past,” wrote Robert Bar- could now live in Gyalaphug. cially from China filing a power
most 8 kilometers into Bhutan, nett in Foreign Policy earlier this That number is boosted by a ro- vacuum created by a ‘strategic
reported the Australian news, month. tation of construction workers, retrograde’ from the war-torn
site news.com.au. In early April, The largely Buddhist Bhuta- party cadres, police and soldiers. nation.
the Chinese welcomed a delega- nese have much in common with Also, Bhutan is adamant that “It is clear that there is a num-
tion of international visitors to the people of Tibet which now the dispute in the country’s east, ber of different countries around
the city of Kunming in Yunnan lies within China. But diplomat- where Beijing now claims land in the region that do have interests
province, which discussed Chi- ically and economically, the gov- the Sakteng wildlife reserve, is a and that have the potential to
na’s mountainous southern bor- ernment in Thimphu has closer new one. It’s never been raised Continued on next page... >>

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