Beijing, August 22: China said today that the only way to end the standoff in Doklam was for India to unconditionally withdraw its troops from the area, a day after Home Minister Rajnath Singh hoped Beijing would soon make a “positive” move.
Singh yesterday had hoped that a solution to the standoff in Doklam would be found soon and said India never attacked a nation nor did it harbour any expansionist behaviour. In a speech, he had also expressed hope that China will undertake a positive initiative to resolve the standoff.
But China responded with its standard propaganda attack by repeating its accusation that Indian troops “illegally crossed the boundary”. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said India’s reasons to stop the Chinese road building activity in Doklam area was “ridiculous”. “So the only prerequisite and condition of this incident is unconditional withdrawal of the Indian troops and equipment,” Hua told reporters. India and China have been locked in a standoff for more than two months in Doklam near the Sikkim sector. The faceoff began after Indian troops stopped Chinese military from building a road India believes would allow Beijing to cut its access to the northeastern states.
Bhutan says Doklam belongs to it but China claims sovereignty over the area. China’s state media has written shrill commentaries over the standoff and has even released a video which portrayed Indians in a very poor taste.
In a separate incident on August 15, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in stone pelting in Ladakh region that resulted in minor injuries to soldiers on both the sides. Hua said China “loves peace and firmly upholds peace”. “At the same time we will safeguard our territorial sovereignty and integrity”. PTI
