The Doklam Plateau (known as Donglang in Chinese) is a strategically vital geographical concept: a disputed area of approximately 89 square kilometers comprising a plateau and a valley. It is located at the tri-junction where the borders of India (Sikkim), Bhutan (Haa District), and China (Tibet's Chumbi Valley) converge.
The issue originated as a long-standing border dispute between China and Bhutan, dating back to the 1960s. It escalated into the 2017 China–India border standoff, a 73-day military confrontation. The crisis began on June 16, 2017, when Chinese troops attempted to extend a road southward on the plateau. India intervened on June 18, 2017, to halt the construction, acting in support of Bhutan and to protect its own security interests. The standoff concluded on August 28, 2017, with a mutual disengagement of troops, restoring the status quo ante bellum at the face-off site.
The mechanism of the dispute centers on the differing interpretations of the tri-junction point, which is defined by Article I of the 1890 Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet. India and Bhutan maintain the tri-junction is near Batang La, while China claims it is further south at Mount Gipmochi. Control over the plateau is critical because it overlooks India’s Siliguri Corridor, or the "Chicken's Neck," the narrow land bridge connecting mainland India to its northeastern states. Since the 2017 standoff, China has reportedly continued to control most of the Doklam area and has engaged in significant construction, including building a village called Pangda.