Bhutan: Dangerous liaison

My guess is that China gave India an ultimatum under the table so it could still save some face and withdraw. If Xi went on national TV to tell India to withdraw or face obliteration, if would incite a lot of the cornered animal response.

Orthan said:

Actually, the chinese foreign ministry didnt refer that china would continue the road construction.

The troops will disengage from the area. This means that the construction workers/equipment will pull out (otherwise it wouldnt makes sense for india to pull out its forces). This crisis started when china atempted to build this road, now the road construction is terminated. For me, this means a defeat for china.

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LOL First of all, Chinese troops didn't pull out. Only China's recently moved arsenal will pull out (because there is no longer any reason to be there).

Secondly, in what country are construction workers considered military troops???

Thirdly, if it wasn't written in the agreement that China would stop construction, then why would you think that it's bound to do so? If you wrote a contract with someone and it didn't include whether or not you'd be paid, do you think he's going to pay you? LOL The only reason China didn't add a "And we're STILL gonna keep building that road!" is because that's just pointlessly antagonistic and rubbing salt on India's wound. After all, why would China have to make a statement to anyone that it will continue to build a road on its own territory?

Lastly, India has a perfect reason to pull out, road construction or not; it doesn't want to be beaten and humiliated and forced to pull out anyway. That wouldn't stop road construction either. Quite frankly, the only defeat here for China was that it hauled all that shit across the country and didn't get any target practice.

Orthan said:

Actually, the chinese foreign ministry didnt refer that china would continue the road construction.

The troops will disengage from the area. This means that the construction workers/equipment will pull out (otherwise it wouldnt makes sense for india to pull out its forces). This crisis started when china atempted to build this road, now the road construction is terminated. For me, this means a defeat for china.

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There nothing in the agreement that China will stop the road building
The Chinese position has been open for talk with India to air their grievances BUT Indian must first withdrawn their troop

NOW India has withdrawn their troop China is willing to listen what India's grievances is
So by withdrawing the troop India in effect invalidated their argument that India has the right to intervene on Bhutan behalf
So on principle China won! But irrespective I am glad that India come back to their senses before it is too late
Kudos for Chinese diplomacy of patience but relentless and backed by massive army.

Just like neighbors if you don't like what your neighbor did to his house, you can call him and discuss your grievances BUT you have no right to trespass. that is the principle in dispute.
He might listen to your grievance and accept it if is logical and make sense that is beside the point

I'm glad this is over and India come to its senses, but too bad China didn't get the chance to test out their shiny hardware.

There is a few takes away from this.

1. Chinese foreign policy is being very cautious and methodical and they are not run by trigger happy armatures, this shows to the rest of the world that China is a responsible power and it does not act base on emotions.

2. Indians are not to be trusted, China never really spend too much of their focus on India in the past, it always sees India as this annoying country with a loud mouth, India on the other hand always trying to gain China's attention, now they have it, and I hope China makes India regret they did this in the first place. Further enhance relations with India's neighbors, further pull them out of India's orbit.

3. The Chinese civilian leadership is fully in control of the their military, I have no doubt during this dispute there were very strong voices in the PLA calling for war, this demonstrates a very healthily civilian/military leadership relations.

4. During this dispute no nation in the world officially came to India's side despite the very heavy lobbying of India leaders, this shows that no one wants to piss off China, not even the country that hates China and wants to contain it (US, Japan, Vietnam etc...).

5. No nation came to China's side either, so this also means China has not YET reach its full potential and became world #1, there is still room to go.

I hope China send a open message to its border troops and rest of the world that any further incursion will be dealt accordingly on the spot, they have the right to shoot at the intruders as any nations has the right to do so. If India tries this again there won't be stand out, there will just be dead bodies.

Yodello said:

I think Bhutan has shown what a cowardly little country it is. If it didn't want Indian troops to be trespassing into its territory to confront China, Bhutan should have asked India to leave in the first place. What kind of a nation is Bhutan? No self-esteem, no Independent foreign policy, no self-respect to be self-reliant or what? I think China should teach Bhutan a subtle lesson. My respect for Bhutan is lower than 'human waste' right now. If one isn't willing to stand up for oneself, maybe one doesn't deserve to be free at all. Bhutan should open itself up and have relations with the wider world, starting with its giant and powerful neighbor China. No wonder, Bhutanese still live in medieval primitive conditions. Time to get out of that enclosure and see the wide world.

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I think Bhutan will start to do all that, for the past 70 years they have no real Independence, no freedom of any sort, they were totally taken hostage by India economically, diplomatically.

I think this dispute have not made Bhutan and India closer, the oppose happened, it make Bhutan finally realized they were not under the protection of India, they were India's hostage. From all the article i read anti Indian sentiment has increasingly hugely.

I would imagine this is traumatic experience for them, its like for someone who has been abused from the day they were grown up, and finally they had enough and left he abuser, but it has to happen. Bhutan has to stand up for its own interest, and I think China is in a very good position to help Bhutan to show them that you can do better lol

You are right India want attention they now get it ! From now on China will built more road to the border
From henri K
The feasibility study of the 30 new road projects for border guards that China will launch in 2017 in Tibet is completed.

let me see ...

Bhutan scores according to
#48 Tyloe, Today at 9:42 AM

Tyloe said:

So Bhutan won its waiting game without saying anything. Wonder what this means for the road construction..

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India scores according to
#50 Orthan, Today at 3:46 PM

Orthan said:

Actually, the chinese foreign ministry didnt refer that china would continue the road construction.

The troops will disengage from the area. This means that the construction workers/equipment will pull out (otherwise it wouldnt makes sense for india to pull out its forces). This crisis started when china atempted to build this road, now the road construction is terminated. For me, this means a defeat for china.

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and Hendrik... didn't disappoint
#53 Hendrik_2000, Today at 4:12 PM

Hendrik_2000 said:

There nothing in the agreement that China will stop the road building
The Chinese position has been open for talk with India to air their grievances BUT Indian must first withdrawn their troop

NOW India has withdrawn their troop China is willing to listen what India's grievances is
So by withdrawing the troop India in effect invalidated their argument that India has the right to intervene on Bhutan behalf
So on principle China won! But irrespective I am glad that India come back to their senses before it is too late
Kudos for Chinese diplomacy of patience but relentless and backed by massive army.

Just like neighbors if you don't like what your neighbor did to his house, you can call him and discuss your grievances BUT you have no right to trespass. that is the principle in dispute.
He might listen to your grievance and accept it if is logical and make sense that is beside the point

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the view from the middle of Europe is this: if I see a CCTV News report from a resumed road-building, the winner will be obvious

I see the newest talk point from India is that Mission Accomplished, Chinese road building stopped lol.

But no where in the agreement or in any public statement did China said they will not build road at Doklam. I think this is the best face saving measure India has got left and China will probably not contradict Indians and let them have this hollow "victory", and China will probably not do any construction within a few month at least.

But make no mistakes these roads needs to be build eventually, and this time China better back up the road building crew with a mechanized infantry battalions

Tyloe said:

So Bhutan won its waiting game without saying anything. Wonder what this means for the road construction..

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Bhutan didn't win.

It was trapped in a nightmare that it couldn't fix, because both China and India was pushing it around

They need freedom of action from India, so they can cut deals with both sides and avoid such a situation again

manqiangrexue said:

LOL First of all, Chinese troops didn't pull out.

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Hendrik_2000 said:

There nothing in the agreement that China will stop the road building

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Wrong. China has removed its troops and the equipment. Both sides moved out under verification. The road wont be built anymore. This is a defeat for china.