evidence: In this context, we see the use of the key pillar of recent Bhutanese diplomacy -careful use of silence to de-escalate border tensions. The use of this form of diplomacy became especially clear during the 2017 Doklam crisis . The crisis was exacerbated by the tri-junction tussle that is demarcated by the Tibet’s Chumbi Valley to the north, Bhutan’s Haa Valley to the east, and India’s Sikkim state to the west. Haa is strategically important for India because the IMTRAT (Indian Military Training Teams) has its base in the Haa town. India and China have primarily struggled on the issue of where the tri-junction lies . [...] This new claim by China has been vehemently been rejected by Bhutanese government that has pointed out that the area has never featured in 24 previous rounds of boundary talks. [...] - Claim to more than 10 percent of sovereign Bhutanese territory may be primarily to coerce Thimphu into making concessions in other areas, such as Doklam, on terms favourable to China. Also, Chinese pressure on Bhutan may be designed to test the relationship between New Delhi and Thimphu.