China’s Land Grab in Bhutan Is the New Face of War
The Pax Americana made outright invasions too risky, so autocrats are swallowing their neighbors one piece at a time.
Buddha at the border.
Photographer: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images
What does a 21st-century land grab look like? China is giving the world a good illustration in Bhutan. In quietly seizing a chunk of land from its small Himalayan neighbor, Beijing is displaying the favored tactic of countries that want to alter the international order but aren’t ready to confront it head-on.
The land grab in question was revealed by researchers last week in Foreign Policy magazine. Over several years, China has sought to fortify its Tibetan border — and gain leverage on South Asian rival India — by stealthily constructing a complex of roads, villages and security installations on land that belongs to Bhutan.