Amid the ongoing border disputes with India, China has now made fresh claims where for the first time it has publicly put on record that it has a boundary dispute with Bhutan in the eastern sector.

Beijing made this claim while objecting to a request to develop the Sakteng wildlife sanctuary in eastern Bhutan’s Trashigang district at an online meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Set up in 1992, GEF is a US-based global body to finance projects in the environment sector.

According to the published minutes of the council meeting, the Chinese representative said, “in light of the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in the project ID 10561 is located in the China-Bhutan disputed areas which is on the agenda of China-Bhutan boundary talk, China opposes and does not join the Council decision on this project”.

Bhutan objected to the Chinese claim, and the GEF council passed the project for funding.

Sources said Bhutan and China have held 24 rounds of border talks, and if Beijing raises this issue in the next rounds of border talks, Thimphu will counter it.

China’s move is being seen as a calibrated attempt of launching a diplomatic attack on Thimphu’s ally India on a new front.

The key could be the proximity of Bhutan’s “eastern sector” to Arunachal Pradesh – which China claims in its entirety as part of “south Tibet” : It could be the primary reason for Beijing to talk about differing boundary perceptions with Bhutan now.

The Ministry of External Affairs is watching the new claims closely, since Bhutan and China had disputed areas in only two points — north and west.