the key to this decades-long border strife between india and china is the strategic plateau of doka la, located close to where the borders of the three countries—india, bhutan and china—meet. if beijing can seize control of the disputed doka la plateau, it would allow china to mobilise its forces undeterred, besides providing it greater access to routes in case of an armed conflict with india. chinese intrusion into the indian borders in the himalayas has resulted in rival military buildups and occasiona