Beyond the Buffer: Bhutan's Strategic Role and the Reconfiguration of South Asian Regional Politics

Abstract

In geopolitical discussions, Bhutan is frequently characterized as a "buffer state" situated between China and India, two major Asian countries. This characterization reflects Bhutan’s geographic position but fails to effectively convey the nation’s contemporary diplomatic power, external interactions, and growing significance in the evolving political landscape of South Asia. The present study proposes that Bhutan should not be viewed merely as a passive strategic buffer. Bhutan acts as a small yet significant political power whose decisions influence regional security, diplomacy, and regional connectivity. This study analyses Bhutan’s navigation of the India-China rivalry, border talks with China, and its continuing strategic alliance with India, drawing on the literature on small-state agency, buffer-state politics, and Himalayan geopolitics. It analyses the relationship between Bhutan’s diplomatic position and the SAARC crisis, the emergence of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN), and broader shifts in South Asian regionalism. The paper proposes that Bhutan’s strategic role reshapes South Asian politics in three ways: by complicating the traditional India-centric regional structure, by connecting Himalayan security to broader Indo-Pacific competition, and by illustrating how small states can exercise power within asymmetric regional structures. The study indicates that Bhutan’s position is beyond mere buffer status; rather, Bhutan exemplifies a notable instance of strategic agency within a changing regional setting.