File: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering. (Reuters Photo)
NEW DELHI: From identifying more border trade points to carrying out a feasibility study for a railway link between the two countries, the government is going all out to thwart China’s attempts to wean Bhutan away from India’s sphere of influence.
After opening a new trade route last week, India is likely to approve Bhutan’s request for another permanent land customs station (LCS) to facilitate more Bhutan exports to India and Bangladesh. India is also considering opening another integrated check post (ICP), sources here said.
These initiatives are significant as Bhutan dodges attempts by China to establish formal diplomatic relations with India’s only neighbour which is yet to join Beijing’s BRI initiative. The government realises though that Bhutan could still be susceptible mainly because of its border dispute with China which recently saw Beijing making a new territor