Which small country, sandwiched between big countries, is quietly watching China?

Some time ago, China and India confronted each other in Donglang area. Bhutan, sandwiched between the two countries, became the best place to observe the confrontation.

In addition to its special geographical location, Bhutan itself is full of mystery. Up to now, Bhutan has not established diplomatic relations with China, and tourists from China rarely go there, but China's products are very popular in Bhutan. Not only China, but also a few countries have established diplomatic relations with Bhutan.

But this legendary poor and backward country claims to have the highest "happiness index" in the world, which seems a bit contradictory. What is the real Bhutan like? What are the people like there?

On September 14, Fan Lingzhi, director of Global Times reporter department, was invited. He just finished his trip to Bhutan, shared his experiences in Bhutan, and analyzed the Indian influence on Bhutan and the Bhutanese people's views on China.

As journalists, we really want to go to the front line to see the situation. There are three routes to get there, namely China, India and Bhutan. But it was impossible to get close to Donglang from China and India at that time, so we chose Bhutan.

Visa application began in early August. In fact, getting a visa means buying a "ticket": you need to pay part of the travel expenses through the travel agency, and you can get a visa after remittance. In addition, each person spends at least $250 a day in Bhutan, and there is an extra charge for self-funded projects. You should communicate with the tour guide.

control

After I arrived in Bhutan, I found that India's influence on Bhutan exists in almost every aspect and has a long history.

We went to a place called Aha, where India began to station troops more than 50 years ago. This was originally a castle of Tibetan Buddhism and a spiritual shrine. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, India said it wanted "military guidance" and never withdrew after stationing troops. Now, local residents are used to them.

In addition to military control, India even controls Bhutan's economic lifeline.

Hydropower and tourism are the economic pillars of Bhutan. In terms of hydropower, Bhutan has natural hydropower advantages because it has Himalayas in the north and Ganges Plain in the south. However, the hydropower station in Bhutan is funded by India, and the electricity generated by Bhutan must be sold to India in addition to its own use. In this way, India controls this economic pillar.

In terms of tourism, I heard that Bhutan has 6.5438+0 million tourist places every year, but my tour guide denied it. In addition, the cost of traveling to Bhutan is very high. The local explanation is that the number of tourists should be controlled to prevent environmental damage. But I think there is still India behind this. Because India wants Bhutan to contact other countries. By raising the threshold of tourism, it has indeed played a certain role.

In addition to these aspects, India's political infiltration into Bhutan is also very serious. For example, I am going to interview a Bhutanese scholar. He once stood in China's position and expressed some views on the Sino-Indian conflict. A few days after the scheduled interview, he changed his mind and refused to talk about this topic. When I arrived in Bhutan, I couldn't reach him. I guess I received a password.

India's control over Bhutan is also reflected in Bhutan's diplomacy. At present, Bhutan has not established diplomatic relations with China. Strangely, none of the five permanent members of the United Nations has established diplomatic relations with Bhutan, which has a lot to do with India. There is a metaphor that Bhutan is like a kannika nimtragol in India. India is afraid of Bhutan's apricot coming out of the wall, so it is locked in the house and is not allowed to see anyone. At the same time, tell kannika nimtragol that I will buy you nice clothes. It can be said that India has seriously violated Bhutan's sovereignty.

To sum up, all India's actions in Bhutan serve its strategic objectives. India has also deployed heavy troops in the northeast of the country, because India has a fatal strategic weakness, namely the Siliguri Corridor. Vividly called "chicken neck", it is only a few tens of kilometers wide.

India was afraid that China would break its "chicken neck" by entering Bhutan, so it took the initiative to attack. Because for India, if Bhutan can be controlled, the "chicken neck" will be thicker and the strategic weakness will be weakened.

Indian soldiers dressed in Bhutanese national costumes

expect

With India's increasing control over Bhutan, the Bhutanese government is also worried about being annexed by India. However, the locals are not so worried. They are dissatisfied with India, mainly because India does not allow Bhutan to establish diplomatic relations with China, which hinders their financial resources.

That's true. Because China has not established diplomatic relations with Bhutan and Indian influence, there are basically no cooperation projects between China and Bhutan. According to the data of 20 15, China's direct investment in Bhutan is 0.

Even so, China products are still very popular in Bhutan. For example, when I went to Pengcuolin, a small town in the south, the streets were full of goods from China, and China brand mobile phones, electrical appliances, clothes and trinkets were very popular. Besides, I saw a company on the street in Palo. They imported excavators from China. It is said that I bought 10 for the first time, which was in short supply. It can be seen that China goods are still very attractive in the local area.

China excavators are neatly arranged on the streets of Paro.

However, due to the fact that all China goods in Bhutan are imported from foreign countries, the tax rate is relatively high, and businessmen suffer relatively. Therefore, Bhutanese want to do business directly with China, which they believe will drive the development of the country.

For example, Bhutanese envy China's high-speed rail and hope to cooperate with China to build roads, tunnels and railways. Why? Because the road conditions in Bhutan are very poor, it will even take a week to go from the westernmost part of Bhutan near Donglang to the easternmost part near southern Tibet. Locals say that none of the roads built by Indians are smooth.

In this context, many Bhutanese people want to establish diplomatic relations with China. There are not many people from China in Bhutan. When I communicate with local people, they will show their interest and yearning for China after getting familiar with it. They think that Indians are unruly, while China people are rich and behave better than Indians.

Due to the limited communication between China and Bhutan, China culture has not been widely spread. Specifically, 70% to 80% of all hotels in Bhutan are Indian TV stations, and there is not even a China TV station. But one thing impressed me. I heard the song "Little Apple" in a bar in Bhutan and danced very well. So I think China culture has great potential.

From a macro perspective, China believes in the strategy of peace and friendship. Although Bhutan is a small country, China hopes to achieve common development and win-win results with Bhutan. I met a boy in the local area whose father is a government official. The boy is studying Chinese in Kunming, China. He speaks fluent Chinese. The boy quoted his father as saying that China is a very sincere country, and everyone can talk about problems calmly, but Indians are not.

The entrance of Penthoryn into Bhutan is opposite India.

history

Facing China and India, Bhutan's political parties have always had different tendencies.

Since the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1907, Bhutan has been ruled by the Wangchuk family for a whole year 100. However, in 2007, Bhutan changed from a monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, introduced the western parliamentary system, and split into two political parties: druk phuensum tshogpa and Bhutan People's Democratic Party.

After the first election, druk phuensum tshogpa came to power. It is made up of the royal elite, and the Prime Minister is more pro-China. 20 13 The Democratic Party of Bhutan came to power, which was generally pro-Indian.

However, the pro-India of the People's Democratic Party does not mean that the bottom people are pro-India. For example, when Bhutanese communicate with unfamiliar people, they will say that India has helped them and is their big brother. But after getting familiar with them, they obviously showed a sense of closeness to China.

Even though Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy, the royal family in Bhutan is still very prestigious. Due to the long tradition and strong religious atmosphere, there are portraits of old and new kings and queens all over Bhutan. Bhutan also stipulates that people should stop to make way when they meet a royal car on the road. 1972, the fourth king of Bhutan put forward the concept of happiness index, which is still very famous today.

I have no intention to evaluate the values of other countries, but to a certain extent, this happiness index is in line with Bhutan's national conditions. Due to the lack of resources, strategic depth and weak industrial system, Bhutan can only rely on big countries. The happiness index can enhance the spiritual pursuit of Bhutanese people, enhance their sense of acquisition and existence, and contribute to the long-term stability of the country.

Castle in Bhutan

life

These days in Bhutan, I really feel that Bhutan is indeed one of the poorest countries in the world, but it is not as exaggerated as the legendary people can't eat. It is said that white-collar workers in Bhutan earn 2,000 to 3,000 a month, while farmers are much lower.

What impressed me most about this trip to Bhutan was the experience on the plane. We flew over the southern foothills of the Himalayas, and we could see Mount Everest from the left. When the plane flies in the valley, its wings seem to touch the peak and swing back and forth. It is said that only eight people dare to fly this line and need special permission. I was sweating when I landed, because the runway was very short and it was difficult to land.

Another impressive thing is that Bhutan has good air and poor roads. I feel that Bhutan is the cleanest country in South Asia, and the weather is as comfortable as autumn in Beijing. I think there are three reasons why it is so clean: there are really few locals and less pollution; Alpine climate and sunny weather; The government has a strong sense of environmental protection. However, there are many cows and dogs on the roads in Bhutan. Some people lie down and have a rest, others just walk around, so you need to be extra careful when driving. Generally speaking, Bhutan is very similar to Tibet in China, with few people quiet and relatively peaceful people. It is estimated that this has something to do with religious belief.

Road conditions in Bhutan

The state religion of Bhutan is Buddhism, and people speak Zongka. It is said that Zongka can be seamlessly connected with Tibetan. There is no problem for Bhutanese to talk to Tibetans in China, but it sounds a little different to me. In addition, Bhutan's currency is called Nur Trum, which is linked to the rupee, and the two are completely universal. When you buy something at the store, you also exchange it with rupees.

But life in Bhutan is not as convenient as in China. If we don't have the money ready, we can only exchange it on the black market, and only in certain cities, and the exchange rate is very low. On the issue of eating, Bhutanese like Chili, which tastes similar to that of China.

Although Bhutan and China have many similarities, they are both blocked by reality and have no choice. Although Bhutan is greatly influenced by India, it does not prevent it from quietly looking to China.

I believe that China's powerful influence will affect Bhutan's decision sooner or later!