China, Bhutan hold 14th expert group meeting on boundary issues

China and Bhutan held the 14th Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the China-Bhutan Boundary lssues from Tuesday to Thursday in Thimphu, Bhutan, according to a release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Letho Tobdhen Tangbi, secretary of the International Boundaries of Bhutan, according to the ministry.

The two sides reviewed the progress made in the China-Bhutan boundary negotiations in recent years and held friendly, frank and constructive discussions on issues of common interest, including the implementation of the Three-Step Roadmap.

Boundary negotiations started in 1984 and lasted for nearly 40 years before the two signed a memorandum of understanding on a Three-Step Roadmap in 2021 to help speed up the delayed boundary talks. 

During the EGM, the two sides also discussed the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement on the Responsibilities and Functions of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary during the second meeting of the JTT. The JTT was established during the 13th expert group meeting to assist the expert group in the implementation of the memorandum of understanding.

The discussions were held in a warm and friendly atmosphere in keeping with the ties of friendship and cooperation between China and Bhutan.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the 25th Round of the Boundary Talks between China and Bhutan was held in Beijing in October 2023. The two sides held in-depth discussions on the boundary negotiations and noted the progress made through a series of Expert Group Meetings since the 24th Round of Boundary Talks in 2016.