evidence: The Doklam plateau in western Bhutan is claimed by both China and Bhutan. India backs Bhutan’s claim. China’s interest in this plateau stems from its strategic value. Control over Doklam will give Beijing a "major terrain advantage" over India. [...] Another worrying development, from India’s perspective, was a memorandum of understanding that Bhutan and China reached in July last year on a three-step roadmap to speed up talks on resolving their border dispute. This dispute involves two chunks of territory – China added a third chunk in eastern Bhutan recently – one of which is the Doklam plateau. China has been pressing Bhutan on a package proposal under which Thimphu should hand over Doklam to China in return for Beijing recognizing Bhutan’s control over disputed territory in north-central Bhutan. [...] India’s influence over Bhutan has been declining. There is growing support in Bhutan for the establishment of formal diplomatic and economic relations with China, and settling the border dispute. Ceding control over Doklam in return for a settled border with China and a generous flow of investment from Beijing is an option that will be hard for Thimphu to resist.