Historical Background
The dispute is a hangover of historical events such as the annexation of Tibet by China in 1959. China’s control over Tibet not only changed the nature of the shared border between Bhutan and Tibet but also the nature of China’s relationship with some of its immediate neighbours. Mao claimed that Tibet was the palm of China’s hand of which the five fingers were identified as Bhutan, Ladakh, Sikkim, Nepal, and Arunachal Pradesh. In other words, Tibet became a strategic platform from which China tried to enlarge its territory and by doing so, aimed to increase its ....
