BEIJING: China renewed a call for India to immediately withdraw its troops from disputed territory high in the Himalayan mountains, following a report that Chinese forces recently held live firing drills in the region.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that Indian forces had to leave the area to avoid an “escalation of the situation.”

“We have stated many times that we hope the Indian side will get a clear understanding of the situation (and) immediately take measures to withdraw the troops that illegally crossed the border back to the Indian side of the border,” Lu said at a regular news briefing Tuesday.

Beijing and New Delhi have engaged in more than a month of saber-rattling as officials from both sides talk of a potential clash even bloodier than their 1962 war that left thousands dead.

Lu’s comments came after Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported late last week that an army brigade equipped with rocket launchers, heavy machine guns and mortars recently practiced a simulated live-firing assault on an enemy position in Tibet. The drills also involved tracking and targeting enemy aircraft, the report said.

The current standoff is in the southernmost part of Tibet in an area also claimed by Indian ally Bhutan, although the report did not say exactly when or where the drills took place.

The slow-motion crisis is expected to be discussed when Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visits Beijing on July 27-28 to take part in a security forum under the BRICS group of large developing nations that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

However, with nationalist sentiments among the public running high in both nations, neither side is expected to back down before the bitter Himalayan winter arrives in a few months, according to experts.

China insists Indian troops withdraw before talks can take place to settle what has become the longest protracted standoff in recent years between nuclear-armed neighbors who share a 3,500-kilometer (2,174-mile) border, much of it contested.

The most recent dispute flared in June after Chinese teams began building a road onto the Doklam, or Donglang in Chinese, Plateau that is claimed by both China and Bhutan, which cooperates closely with India on security matters.

Although China and Bhutan have been negotiating the precise border for decades without serious incident, the tiny Himalayan kingdom turned this time to help from New Delhi, which sent troops across the border from the northeastern state of Sikkim.

China retaliated by closing a nearby mountain pass that Indian pilgrims use to reach Mount Kailash, a sacred Hindu and Buddhist site in Tibet. China’s foreign ministry has also presented to reporters historical documents that it says prove China’s claims to the plateau.

Although the Doklam Plateau is not part of Indian territory, New Delhi has been particularly sensitive to Chinese building activity in a region with strategic significance.</s>External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said that all the countries, including Bhutan, are with India on the issue of the Dokhlam stand-off.

Sushma’s response came after Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal’s questioned the Centre on the Doklam stand-off.

Sushma said the issue is due to the “tri-junction point that is between India, China and Bhutan” and that if Beijing unilaterally tries to change the status quo at the tri-junction, then it will pose a threat to New Delhi’s security.

“India wants that troops are removed from the tri-junction point to discuss the issue together. All countries, including Bhutan, are with us,” Sushma said in Rajya Sabha on the fourth day of the Parliament Monsoon Session.

Congress’ Chhattisgarh MP Chaya Sharma raked up the issue of presence of China on the South China Sea, to which Sushma countered saying there is no threat to India from Beijing, as she “cannot say China is encircling New Delhi in terms of sea presence.”

On the ‘One Belt One Road’ issue, the External Affairs Minister said that India had opposed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC) inclusion in the OBOR at the time it was proposed.

India and China have been witness to the stand=off for long over the tri-junction area of Doklam sector near Bhutan.

The stand-off emerged after the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) construction party attempted to build a road near the Doklam area.

Bhutan recognises Doklam as its area while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. Doka La is the Indian name for the region.</s>BEIJING: China on Thursday reiterated that it won't talk to India until New Delhi withdraws troops from Doklam where both armies have been locked in a stand-off for more than a month.China has repeatedly said the withdrawal of troops from Doklam was the precondition for any "meaningful dialogue" with India over the festering border row in the Sikkim section of the border."Our diplomatic channel is unimpeded and the withdrawal of the Indian border troops is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue and the communication between the two sides," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a press conference."The incident that happened in Sikkim section is quite clear that the Indian border troops illegally trespassed into Chinese territory," Lu added.The borders of India, Bhutan and China meet at Doklam, which holds strategic importance to all three.China calls Doklam its own but India and Bhutan call it Bhutanese territory.India, a close ally of Bhutan, stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in Doklam in June, leading to the face-off between New Delhi and Beijing Now both armies are eyeball-to-eyeball at Doklam. India says it wants to resolve the issue diplomatically.</s>Delhi: External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday that it was seeking 'peaceful resolution' of all boundary matters with China, including military standoff at Doklam in the Sikkim sector.

Addressing the press, spokesperson Gopal Baglay referred to India`s June 30 statement to reiterate that "basically India`s approach has been to find peaceful resolution of all matters concerning the border with China."

He also said that India`s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will be visiting Beijing on July 27 and 28 to attend a BRICS meeting but parried questions whether there will be any bilateral meetings with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the meeting of the five-nation grouping.

The meeting of NSAs of BRICS nations will be hosted by Yang.

However, Baglay refused to share the details on what kind of diplomatic channels the two countries were using to ease the border tension at Doklam.

"I would not like to go into the details of how and between whom and when such conversations have taken place, if they have taken place," he said.

The spokesperson said the government of India has been laying stress on the Astana consensus between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at last month that the two countries must not allow differences to become disputes.

"Every responsible power, every responsible person and player in the world, of course, prefers peaceful resolution of matters that are in hand," he said, as per IANS.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today that China intends to unilaterally change the status of the tri-junction with Bhutan, which poses a challenge to India's security.

Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour, she informed the Rajya Sabha that there was a written agreement between India, China and Bhutan in 2012 that the three nations will together decide on the boundaries at the tri-junction point.

The Minister said the boundaries between India and China are yet to be finalised and the two nations will do that bilaterally through discussions, while the same between China and Bhutan too will be done through bilateral talks.

She also accused China of building roads using bulldozers and excavators, which has been protested by Bhutan in writing to China.

The Minister also said that India was not 'unreasonable' on the issue and all nations were with it.

"India's position is not wrong on the tri-junction and all nations are with it. The law is with our country," she said.

Swaraj said all countries are supporting us and they understand that the stand taken by India on the issue is not wrong.

She said the matter can be resolved through talks and "We are willing to talk, but both sides have to first take back their armies."

What India had said on June 30:

India on June 30 had hit back at China for making veiled threats with Defence Minister Arun Jaitely asserting that India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962.

After China's oblique reference to the war the two countries had fought 55 years ago, Jaitley had said that the current standoff between Indian and Chinese troops was triggered by Beijing.

The MEA had said then that it was essential that all parties concerned display utmost restraint and abide by their respective bilateral understandings not to change the status quo unilaterally.

"India is deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India," the MEA had asserted in a press release at that time.

"In coordination with the Royal Government of Bhutan, Indian personnel, who were present at general area Doka La, approached the Chinese construction party and urged them to desist from changing the status quo. These efforts continue," the ministry had added.

"It is our understanding that a Royal Bhutan Army patrol attempted to dissuade them (the PLA construction party) from this unilateral activity," the MEA had maintained.

On the other hand, China said today that diplomatic channels with India remained 'unimpeded' to discuss the military standoff in Sikkim sector but reiterated that the withdrawal of the Indian troops from Doklam area is a 'precondition' for any meaningful dialogue.

Lu, however, reiterated that "the withdrawal of the Indian border personnel is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue and communication between the two countries".

Lu claimed that the incident makes it clear that "Indian border personnel illegally trespassed into China's territory," as per PTI.

Why the stand-off at Indo-China border:

Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face- off for over a month after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from constructing a road near the Doklam plateau, fearing it may allow China to cut India's access to its northeastern states.

India has conveyed to China that the construction of the road would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for New Delhi.

While status of Sikkim as part of India has been settled with China, the border is yet to be finalised.</s>Four weeks and running, the India-China standoff at Doklam shows no sign of ending. Yes, this one near the borders of India, China and Bhutan seems different and more menacing. It is the first time that India has engaged China from a third country — a fact that seems to have shocked some layers of the Chinese establishment.The message from China’s official, quasi-official and non-official sources is the same, the difference being the degree of belligerence: India is at fault, it must back down, withdraw its troops and let Bhutan and China sort out their boundary dispute. In other words, China should have the freedom to coerce a tiny country.India has maintained a calm but firm stance, kept the temperature low on its side and sent signals it wants to sort the problem with dialogue. The reporting has been sane with none of the hyperbole coming out of various founts of the Chinese media machine. Thankfully, there has been no charge of the Indian TV brigade.Outside experts have weighed in —deconstructing the developments with keen insights. Lapsed ones like 1962 Sino-Indian war scholar Neville Maxwell have also offered their predictable views based on realities frozen in the past. Interestingly, Maxwell’s diatribe came without any input from the Chinese. He was floundering for information from sources far from Beijing. The rest was bias.The reasons for China forcing a boundary dispute front and centre are many. China under President Xi Jinping has flapped its wings all around: from the oceans to the Himalayas to test the resolve of targeted countries. This also happens to be an ‘election’ year in China — even though the winner of the game of thrones is already known.The 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party is expected to anoint Xi for a second term. But he is manoeuvring to stay in power beyond the traditional 10 years. At least one prominent rival was put under investigation last week for — what else? —party indiscipline. Xi could be around until 2027.There was no pressing need for the current confrontation with India. But it is continuation of adversarial politics by other means. The mythology around the closed Chinese system is so exaggerated that Western experts step gingerly around its constant aggressions, almost afraid to call China out as they do Russia.The Chinese have cleverly managed to play both instigator and victim in the Doklam stand-off. Making a distinction between India and Bhutan, and treating them separately without any cognisance of the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, profits the Chinese. It allows Beijing to demand that India unilaterally vacate its positions on China’s terms. The Chinese also chose the time carefully.Their road-building in Doklam came before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump , and after his meeting with Xi in Astana on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.Earlier, border transgressions, such as the one in Depsang, occurred when Sino-Indian relations were relatively stable — or at least in better shape than they are now. Who bears primary blame for deterioration is a matter of judgement.After Modi naïvely tried to establish a personal relationship with Xi and failed, the more innate parts of the BJP’s thinking on China appear to have crept in. This may have partly led India to ‘expose’ China on issues related to Pakistan: India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) and efforts to get Pakistani terrorists on the UN sanctions list.Acycle of action and reaction followed. The Chinese were apoplectic when the Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh. But why shouldn’t a religious leader travel freely in India? The list of hostile acts by the Chinese against India is long, starting with making Pakistan into a bigger nuisance than it already was by augmenting its nuclear and missile capabilities. They completed the circle by running the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor ( CPEC ) through territory claimed by India.China’s ‘string of pearls’ strategy of systematically influencing India’s closest neighbours, its forays into the Indian Ocean and the constant border incursions despite management mechanisms laboriously put in place — Beijing has constantly tried to restrict India’s strategic space while slowly gobbling land bit by bit. India’s proximity to the US is deemed suspect and destabilising for Asia. But China can seek a ‘new type of major power relations’ with Washington.China can violate agreements it signed in the past by simply pleading it was ‘weak’ then, even though it has been courted by different blocs since the middle of the last century. China has successfully kept the Association of South Asian Nations (Asean) divided for years, never allowing a consensus to emerge on a ‘code of conduct’ for settling disputes in the South China Sea In China’s worldview, no one has the same rights and privileges it does. Not for nothing does China call itself the Middle Kingdom. It’s not the middle between Left and Right, but the middle around which the world revolves. Those who know the language and Chinese characters say people often miss this nuance.No one can predict how or when the current stand-off will end. But we know intimidation is a bully’s primary tactic. And if you are not intimidated, the bully normally backs off.</s>China has reiterated its calls for India to withdraw troops from a disputed territory in the Himalayan mountains, to avoid an "escalation of the situation." It comes after China recently staged live-fire drills in the region.Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang urged India to withdraw its troops from the area near the Chinese, Indian and Bhutanese borders."We have stated many times that we hope the Indian side will get a clear understanding of the situation (and) immediately take measures to withdraw the troops that illegally crossed the border back to the Indian side of the border," Lu said, as quoted by AP.He went on to state that Indian troops must withdraw before any talks can take place over the disputed territory.Tensions between China and India - which backs Bhutan's territorial claims - intensified on June 16, when Chinese teams began building a road at the disputed Doklam Plateau, which India says is Bhutanese soil.Bhutan responded by requesting assistance from India, which sent its troops across the border.Delhi also warned Beijing that the road was a "serious security concern" because it would give China access to the 'Chicken's Neck,' a thin wedge of land that links India's seven northeastern states to the rest of the country, NDTV reported. The deployment of Indian troops to the area infuriated China, which retaliated by closing a nearby mountain pass that Indian pilgrims use to reach Mount Kailash, a sacred Hindu and Buddhist site in Tibet.Lu's Tuesday remarks came just days after China staged 11 hours of live-fire drills in Tibet, near the disputed territory.Those drills included an army brigade equipped with rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and mortars, the CCTV news outlet reported on Friday. They also involved tracking and targeting "enemy planes."Frontline troops do not typically carry weapons, in an effort to avoid escalation. They do, however, reportedly sometimes physically clash in an effort to force the other side back, bumping chests in a practice dubbed "jostling."Meanwhile, Chinese state media claims that India has a total of 200,000 troops stationed in areas it disputes with Beijing, outnumbering Chinese forces by as much as 15 to 20 to one.The territorial dispute centers on disagreements of where the tri-junction of the three countries' borders lies. China says its territory extends south to an area called Gamochen, while India says Beijing's control ends further north, at Batanga La.To support its claim, China has provided historical documents which it says prove the Doklam Plateau belongs to Beijing. Those claims have been disputed by India, which has accused China of cherry-picking facts to suit its agenda.</s>In a toughening of its stand, India on Thursday asked China to withdraw its troops from Doklam on the Bhutan-China border if it wanted New Delhi to pull out its Army from the area.

In the first exhaustive Indian comment on the border row between India and China that began over a month ago, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj accused China of unilaterally trying to change the status quo on the frontier with Bhutan.

This is what had sparked off the stand-off between the Indian and Chinese armies, she told the Rajya Sabha.

She said while China was saying that India should withdraw its troops from Doklam for negotiations to begin, "we are saying that if a dialogue is to be held, then both should withdraw (their troops)".

The Chinese action "is a challenge to our security", the Minister said, adding India was not doing anything unreasonable.

The stand-off started more than a month ago when Indian troops stopped Chinese soldiers from building a road on the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.

This has severely affected Sino-Indian ties, with Chinese experts threatening a war if New Delhi did not buckle.

"Foreign countries are with us. They feel that China is being aggressive with a small country like Bhutan. Bhutan has protested, including in writing. All the countries feel India's stand is right and the law is with us," Sushma Swaraj said.

"Over the years, China has been trying to get closer and closer to where the tri-junction point ends. It has done things like repair roads, re-tar them and things like that."

She described what was different about the June 16 incident that led to the stand-off.

"This time though, they came with bulldozers and construction equipment with the aim of breaching the point where the tri-junction ends. That is a threat to our security," she said.

On China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) project, Sushma Swaraj said India had opposed it right from the beginning.

"As soon as we learned that they are making CPEC a part of OBOR, we registered our protest," the Minister said, referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which passes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India calls its territory.</s>China on Tuesday again told India to withdraw its troops from the disputed border at Doklam as a Chinese newspaper warned that Beijing was battle ready and not afraid to go to war with India in an “all-out confrontation”.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said foreign diplomats in Beijing were briefed over the Doklam stand-off and that Indian troops had “illegally” crossed the mutually recognised China-India boundary on the Sikkim section.

He said India “should not take the illegal trespass as a policy to realise its political target” adding, the foreign diplomats in Beijing were “shocked” over the trespass by India.

China and India have a 3,488-km border, of which 220 km falls in the Sikkim sector where Doklam is situated. Doklam is at a tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan.

China calls Doklam its own, a claim contested by India and Bhutan.

China said India violated international rules by “illegally entering into the Chinese territory”. Beijing has been trying to rally international support behind it.

“The illegal trespass by the Indian border personnel has drawn extensive attention from the international community and many foreign diplomatic missions in China said they were shocked by this,” Lu said.

“We stressed the facts are very clear in this incident. The Sikim section on China-India boundary is mutually recognised by the two sides,” Lu added. “This time the Indian border personnel illegally trespassed into Chinese territory.”

Lu warned India to withdraw troops from Doklam to avoid an escalation. “We hope the Indian side get the clear understanding of the current situation and take immediate measures to pull back the personnel.”

Meanwhile, a commentary in the state-run Global Times said China doesn’t fear going to war and will make itself ready for a long-term confrontation.

The article by Duo Mu said China must deploy more troops along the border with India and speed up road construction in Doklam where the two sides have been engaged in a month-long standoff.

It suggested that New Delhi triggered the dispute as it was worried over China’s rapid economic rise. The stand-off began when Indian troops stopped Chinese soldiers from building a road in Doklam.

“China doesn’t fear going to war to safeguard sovereignty either, and will make itself ready for a long-term confrontation,” said the commentary.

The writer said one important reason that prompted India to trigger the border dispute was its worry over China’s economic development.

“China has risen quickly to be the world’s No. 2 economy… New Delhi is deeply concerned with China’s rapid rise. Provocation at the border reflects India’s worry and attempt to sound out China.”

The commentary said China doesn’t recognise the land under India’s actual control as Indian territory and accused New Delhi of “poisoning” the atmosphere for border negotiations.

“China must be prepared for future conflicts and confrontation. China can take further counter-measures along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

“If India stirs up conflicts in several spots, it must face the consequence of an all-out confrontation with China along the entire LAC. The 3,500-km border has never been short of disputes. Since the 1962 border war, the Indian side has repeatedly made provocations.”

China must continue strengthening border construction and speed up troop deployment and construction in the Doklam area, Duo said. “These are legitimate actions of a sovereign country.”</s>China is battle ready and not afraid to go to war with India which will face "all-out confrontation" along the entire disputed border, a Chinese daily warned on Tuesday.

An article in the state-run Global Times said China must deploy more troops along the border with India and speed up road construction in Doklam where the two sides have been engaged in a month-long standoff.

The stand-off began when Indian troops stopped Chinese soldiers from building a road in Doklam, an area disputed by China and Bhutan.

"China doesn't fear going to war to safeguard sovereignty either, and will make itself ready for a long-term confrontation," a commentary by Duo Mu said.

"China must be prepared for future conflicts and confrontation. China can take further countermeasures along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

"If India stirs up conflicts in several spots, it must face the consequence of an all-out confrontation with China along the entire LAC.

"The 3,500-km border has never been short of disputes. Since the 1962 border war, the Indian side has repeatedly made provocations," Duo said.

China and India have a 3,488-km border, of which 220 km falls in the Sikkim sector where Doklam is situated.

Doklam is at a tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan.

China calls Doklam its own, a claim contested by India and Bhutan who cite the pending ownership of the territory.

The commentary comes after the People's Liberation Army conducted a live-fire drill in Tibet, which borders India.

"According to the Indian media, Indian troops are stationed at the border area and have set up logistical support. They even claim that India will continue the confrontation with China at the Sikkim section of the China-India border until the Chinese troops withdraw."

"In response, China must continue strengthening border construction and speed up troop deployment and construction in the Doklam area. These are legitimate actions of a sovereign country.

"If India plans to devote more resources in the border area, then so be it. China can engage in a competition with India over economic and military resources deployment in the border area.

"With growing national strength, China is capable of deploying resources in remote border areas.

"As the confrontation goes on, China needs to get ready for the face-off becoming a long-term situation and at the same time needs to maintain a sense of rationality."</s>New Delhi: India on Thursday made a renewed pitch for a “peaceful resolution” of the Doklam standoff with China through diplomatic channels, insisting that differences should not become disputes. The assertion by New Delhi came on a day China said diplomatic channels remained “unimpeded” to discuss the issue provided India withdraws its troops from Doklam.

Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay told reporters that India has been in “close contact” with the Bhutan government on the unfolding developments, noting that diplomatic channels to resolve the issue with China have not broken off. When referred to China’s demand that status quo be restored in Doklam, he said India has also been asking for it. “There is a certain approach to resolve tri-junction issues and that it should not be altered unilaterally.”

He said Bhutan’s demand to China asking it withdraw its troops from Doklam has also been India’s stance. Baglay said India is for resolving border issues with China peacefully and referred to the understanding between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a bilateral meeting in Astana last month that differences between the two countries should not be allowed to become disputes. The two leaders had met in Astana on the sidelines of the summit of Shanghai Organisation Cooperation (SCO).

“Basically, India’s approach has been to find peaceful resolution of all matters concerning the border with China,” he said, adding, “Diplomatic channels are available and not broken off.” Asked about China ratcheting up rhetoric against India, Baglay quoted 15th-century saint Kabir, indicating it was not necessary to take note of everything that has been coming from the Chinese side. “It is obvious that every responsible power, every responsible person and player in the world, of course, prefers peaceful resolution of matters that are in hand,” Baglay said.

Earlier on Thursday, China said diplomatic channels with India remained “unimpeded” to discuss the Doklam standoff but at the same time reiterated that the withdrawal of the Indian troops from the area is a “precondition” for any meaningful dialogue. Asked about China’s comment, Baglay said diplomatic channels remaining available implies that it is a process. The MEA spokesperson also said at least one flag meeting between the two sides had taken place after the face-off, which began on 16 June. “I am aware of flag meeting taking place after June 16. Now whether there was one or more, I am not aware of.” On whether India has briefed other countries on the issue, Baglay said, “It is not appropriate for me to comment on diplomatic discussions and interactions that take place as a regular matter and also on sensitive issues of this nature.”

“I would not like to go into the details of how and what and with whom such conversations have taken place, if they have taken place,” he said. To a question on whether India can explore going to the UN if diplomacy fails to resolve the standoff, Baglay said he cannot reply to hypothetical questions but added, “In a sense you have answered your own question.”

Asked about comments by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Jammu and Kashmir counterpart Mehbooba Mufti that China could be behind troubles in their states, Baglay evaded a reply and only said cross-border terrorism was the root of the problem in Jammu and Kashmir. Baglay also confirmed that national security advisor Ajit Doval will travel to Beijing to attend a Brics meeting on 27 and 28 July.
Amid a stalemate between India and China over Doklam, disputed between the latter and Bhutan, China renews a call for India to withdraw its troops from Doklam. It follows reports claiming China held live firing drills in the region.