China Outreach to Bhutan and Challenge to India

Recently, Chinese ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui visited Bhutan once again. The visit was a part of China’s strategy to intensify engagement with Bhutan, a country it does not have diplomatic relations with.

China’s Bhutan Outreach

• Foreign Policy Challenge: China’s Bhutan Outreach poses a significant foreign policy challenge for India in the neighbourhood, not least because the new government in Bhutan is likely to look at China more and more as a potential partner in its efforts to diversify its economy.
• Reliance on Hydropower: Bhutan’s new government headed wants to reduce the mountainous country’s excessive reliance on hydropower which it exports to India. ....