India closely monitoring developments relating to China: Foreign Secretary

New Delhi. India has said it is it is closely monitoring developments which have a direct impact on its national interest in relation to China.

Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra, briefing media persons about visiting Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that the “government very closely follows all developments which have a bearing on our national interest and we would take all necessary measures to safeguard them as necessary”.

His response came to to a question on whether the Bhutanese side briefed the Indian side on China.

Bhutan is a strategically important country for India and the defence and security ties between the two sides have witnessed significant expansion in the last few years.

During his meeting with the Bhutan king, Prime Minister Modi assured the Himalayan kingdom of help to support its upcoming 13th five-year plan and also promised to extend an additional standby credit facility.

India has been helping Bhutan in its five-year plan periods since 1961.

During the peak of Coronavirus pandemic, India had sent vaccines to Bhutan.

India-Bhutan ties have witnessed an upward trajectory in the backdrop of the 2017 Doklam stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops which had lasted for 73 days.

India had objected to China’s attempts of extending a road in an area, which Bhutan claimed belonged to it. This led to the stand-off.

Doklam holds strategic importance for India.

The stand-off was resolved after several rounds of talks between India and China.

Subsequently in October 2021, Bhutan and China signed an agreement to expedite their long standing border dispute. Both nations share a 400-km long boundary.

The Bhutan king had visited India last year also on a transit visit in September.