As China and India tussle in South Asia, a pristine mountain kingdom is caught in the middle
THIMPHU, Bhutan - Tucked like a jewel into the mighty Himalayas, the mountain kingdom of Bhutan has rarely commanded the world's gaze, its hillside monasteries and emerald valleys long known only to select travelers seeking adventure or enlightenment.
But for two months, this quiet Buddhist monarchy found itself at the center of a bitter military standoff involving the world's two most populous countries, each jockeying for primacy in South Asia.
Tensions eased Monday when the rivals, China and India, announced that they had agreed to withdraw their troops from a remote, 10,000-foot plateau near where their borders intersect with Bhutan's. That ended an impasse that began in June when India sent hundreds of soldiers to block Chinese construction workers and border guards from extending a road running south across the plateau from Tibet.
Both Bhutan and China claim the plateau, and India, Bhutan's closest ally, said it acted
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