BBC News - Bhutan is one of the two countries with which China is yet to resolve its land border dispute. China's global rise is putting pressure on Bhuatn to reach a deal with Beijing, but any possible breakthrough will need the approval of its ally India. Read more
The Himalayan nation of Bhutan is nestled between two Asian giants, China and India. But that unique geographical position also comes with the price.
Bhutan is one of the two countries with which China is yet to resolve its land border dispute. The other country is India, which has a long-running disagreement over its Himalayan frontier with China.
China's global rise is putting pressure on Bhutan to reach a deal with Beijing, but any possible breakthrough will need the approval of its ally India.
Among all the contentious places, the key issue is a strategic plateau called Doklam - situated close to the tri-junction between India, Bhutan and China. Bhutan and China claim the region and India supports Thimphu's position.
India has its own reasons to back Thimphu. Experts say the Doklam plateau is of great security importance to India as any dominance of the region by the Chinese could pose a threat to Siliguri Corridor, known as the Chicken's Neck, a 22km (14-mile) stretch that connects the Indian mainland with its north-eastern states.
"India is concerned that China is pressuring Bhutan to settle the boundary to harass New Delhi," said P Stobdan, a former senior Indian diplomat and an expert on Himalayan affairs.
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