China 'Landgrabs' Bhutan's Territory, Sets Up Village 9 Km From Doklam Standoff Site

China has set up a village 2 km inside Bhutan's territory, close to Doklam where the Chinese and Indian Army faced an intense standoff in 2017, images shared by a senior journalist with the Chinese state media showed on Thursday, November 19.

In tweets that have now been deleted, Shen Shiwei, a senior producer with Chinese CGTN News, posted the images of the village set up in the Doklam area and later also mentioned the exact location of the settlement, NDTV reported.

The Chinese village of Pangda is 2 kilometres inside Bhutanese territory and raises India's fear of what is known as "salami-slicing" which refers to Beijing's attempt to cut into Indian and Bhutanese territory.

The ​​Doklam area is on the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan. China poses a huge threat to India as it is building a road in the location which makes it easier for China to reach the Chicken Neck or the Siliguri corridor of India and can make attempts to isolate northeastern parts of India.

The move comes at a time when tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are escalating and the two armies have been in a standoff for months now. The Doklam standoff has been one of the most intense face-offs in decades between India and China before the violent scuffle in eastern Ladakh that started earlier this year and peaked in June and claimed at least 20 Indian Army personnel's lives.

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