evidence: The India-Bhutan relationship had strengthened owing to the threat from Communist China. In 1949, China invaded Tibet, which borders Bhutan. Through the 1950s, China unveiled maps claiming parts of Bhutanese territory. In 1959, it annexed 8 Bhutanese enclaves in Tibet. Bhutan felt threatened and turned to India. India sent a military team to the Haa Valley to set up The Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) mission to train Bhutanese soldiers shortly before the 1962 India-China war. Delhi also began funding Bhutan’s economic development. 70% of Bhutan’s exports come to India. However, Bhutan also has a quarter of its trade with China. Thimphu is engaged in border demarcation talks directly with Beijing, as China has made considerable inroads in infrastructure development in Bhutan’s northern valleys, particularly in the telecom sector and road building projects. Bhutan’s imports are capital-intensive with machine goods, durable items, and daily appliances, indicating that as Bhutan grows, so will its reliance on China. Therefore, Bhutan is trying to formalize diplomatic relations with China and resolve the boundary dispute bilaterally, keeping the negotiation details under wraps, as Bhutan’s Doklam plateau has a direct security bearing on India’s Siliguri Corridor.