BEIJING: China today said there was no scope for a "compromise" in the military standoff with India in the Sikkim section, and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the "grave" situation.In unusually blunt remarks, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador said in an interview to PTI: "There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option)."The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a "pre- condition", he asserted. However, he made it clear that there was no scope for a "compromise" on the issue."The first priority is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India," he said.China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese army's construction party came to build a road.Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India."The situation is grave and made me deeply worried. It is the first time that Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognised boundary and trespassed into China's territory, triggering a close range face off between Chinese and Indian border troops. Now 19 days have passed, but the situation still has not eased," Luo said.He also asserted that India has no right to interfere with the China-Bhutan boundary talks, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.On the standoff, the Ministry of External Affairs had said India was "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"."As for the so called 'security concerns' of the Indian side, India has crossed a delimited boundary into other country's territory in the name of security concerns, no matter what kind of activities it conducts there, which will not acceptable to any sovereign state."India cannot encroach upon the territory of other countries on the ground of its 'security concerns'. Otherwise, the world would be in chaos," the Chinese envoy added.He also asserted that "it is critical that India shall withdraw its troops immediately to minimise the negative impact. It serves the interests of the two sides."He also noted that the current standoff was of different nature from the previous frictions between the two countries, and said it was the first time that such a severe situation has occurred at the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary.</s>China today said the Sino-India border in the Sikkim sector is well demarcated and the Indian Army's action there is a "betrayal" of the position taken by successive Indian governments.

 

 "Former Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru endorsed the 1890 Sino-British Treaty on Sikkim in a letter to the then Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959. Successive Indian governments have also endorsed this," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a media briefing.

 

 He said India needs to observe the treaty and pull back troops immediately from Doklam.

 

 "The India-China boundary in the Sikkim section is well demarcated. The action taken by India is a betrayal of the position taken by the Indian governments," he said.

 

 China accused Indian troops of transgressing into the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector, which it claims as a part of its territory.

 

 Bhutan also claims the area as a part of its territory.

 

 China also said it has closed the Nathu La route in Sikkim for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims from India.

 

 "The other route to Tibet through Lipu lake is open as it is located in the middle section where there is no dispute, Geng said.</s>China has said the 'ball is in India's court' to end the tension. (File photo)</s>BEIJING: China said on Monday that India was violating an 1890 border agreement between Britain and China that previous Indian governments have pledged to uphold, and it should be respected to end a "very serious" incursion by India. The border stand-off on a plateau next to the mountainous Indian state of Sikkim, which borders China, has ratcheted up tension between the neighbouring giants, who share a 3,500 km frontier, large parts of which are disputed.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com.</s>BEIJING, July 3 (APP): Terming illegal entry of Indian border guards

 into China’s territory as a ‘serious’ act, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that trespass of Indian troops into defined Sikkim section of China-India boundary was violation of the 1890 border agreement.

 “The trespass of Indian border troops into China territory took place at

 defined Sikkim section of China-India boundary which is violation of 1890 Convention signed between China and Great Britain” Geng Shuang said during his regular press briefing here.

 When asked as to why China think the nature of this incident was more

 serious than before, he said, this incident took place at the defined section of China-India boundary which was different in nature from the frictions and confrontations between the two countries.

 He said the China-India boundary at Sikkim section had been defined by

 the 1890 Convention and the successive Indian governments had upheld it many times in written forms and also recognized that the two sides had no disagreement on the alignment of Sikkim section.

 The spokesperson said the illegal trespass of Indian border troops had

 breached the convention signed between China and India and it was also against the basic principles of United Nations (UN) charter and internal law.

 He said the Chinese side had lodged representations with India many

 times, adding, “We require Indian side to observe and respect the treaty and pull back border troops immediately.”

 Responding to a question, he said, the Sikkim section of China-India

 boundary had been defined by the convention signed between China and Great Britain in 1890.

 “Since founding of new China and independence of India, the governments

 of both sides recognized the effectiveness of the convention and confirmed it in series of documents and statements,” he added.

 He said the convention explicitly determined the borderline between the

 two countries and for a long time, both sides had been exercising the jurisdiction according to this stipulation.

 “Abiding by this convention and boundary is an international obligation

 that must be pursued by the Indian government,” he added.

 Geng Shuang said the Chinese sides had stated many times that the Sikkim

 section had been demarcated according to the convention singed in 1890.

 The documents between Chinese and Indian government showed that the

 boundary had been demarcated. Since independence of India, former Indian prime minister Jawahir Lal Nehru explicitly recognized the 1890 convention through a letter to his Chinese counterpart on March 22, 1959.

 The spokesperson said the action taken by the present Indian government

 was betrayal of the consistent position held by the Indian governments in the past.

 When asked to comment that China was trying to alter the status quo in

 the area, he said in order to cover up the illegal entry of Indian border troops into Chinese territory, Indian authorities were distorting the facts. It was trying to confuse right with a wrong.

 To yet another question, he said, “China will take all necessary means

 to safeguard its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”</s>Amid tensions at the India-China border in Sikkim that has been going on for the past few weeks, China seems to be keen on ruffling a few more feathers and has deployed a submarine in the Indian Ocean Region. The region seems to be witnessing quite a few unusual activities of Chinese warships and the vessel deployed in the Indian Ocean is a Yuan class conventional diesel-electric submarine.

The Indian Navy's satellites and maritime surveillance systems noticed the submarine entering the Indian Ocean Region and have been keeping an eye on the warship since. The Chinese Naval Ship (CNS) Chongmingdao is said to be supporting the said submarine.

While the move is being seen by many as China's way of increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean Region, the Indian Navy officials have said that this is routine and has nothing to do with the Sikkim standoff.

"The submarine's presence has nothing to do with the present situation and it has been present in the Indian Ocean for a while now," IANS quoted a navy official as saying. "Usually, Chinese submarines have three-month long deployment in the Indian ocean. This is routine."

The submarine is said to be a part of China's People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) anti-piracy fleet. It has earlier docked in Karachi after Sri Lanka refused to let the vessel dock at a Sri Lankan harbour in May.

Meanwhile, the border standoff in Sikkim seems to be flaring with China now retorting to Defence Minister Arun Jaitley's earlier statement, which said: "the situation in 1962 was different and India of 2017 is different." China's foreign ministry slammed Jaitley's remark and said that China too has come a long way since 1962.

"China too is different and will take all necessary measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, according to the Press Trust of India. "He is right in saying that India in 2017 is different from 1962, just like India, China is also different.

"I would like the Indian side to respect the 1890 treaty immediately and pull back the border troops which have crossed into Chinese territory back to the Indian side of the boundary."

The border issue started after the Indian side accused the Chinese troops of intruding into the Indian border in Sikkim and destroying bunkers, while the PLA put the blame on India saying it was interfering in the activities taking place in the Chinese territory.

China then also shut down the Nathu La pass and denied entry to pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarovar. The Chinese media too said that India needs to learn "the rules" of dealing with border disputes and an article on the Global Times warned India not to be "arrogant."</s>Islamabad

 India offering its services to the US to pressurise China is evidence of its isolation in the region, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said Monday. Talking to a delegation from the Kashmir Journalists Forum, he said Syed Salahuddin being designated a terrorist by the US was an attempt by the American administration to appease India. He added that Pakistan was not bound to follow the decision as it was not a United Nations (UN) declaration. Aziz said that India has been trying to downplay the Kashmir issue for a very long time, but continuing agitation at the local level had completely changed the Indian narrative. “Kashmiris are increasingly finding support from the international community, which has brought the freedom movement to an important juncture,” Aziz noted. Aziz reiterated that the struggle was being led by Kashmiris and Pakistan was only providing political, diplomatic and moral support to them. He also said that history shows that it is impossible to prevent people from achieving their aims when they decide to rise. “Multiple surveys have shown that a vast majority of people from India-held Kashmir do not want to stay with India,” Aziz said. “On the contrary, 99 per cent of people in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) want to stay with Pakistan.” The adviser said the federal government was making an effort to put effective governments in power in AJK and GB. Suggestions in this regard are being compiled and will soon be finalised, he said. Aziz also highlighted ceasefire violations by India, claiming that India had violated the ceasefire more than 400 times in the past years, which was a violation of a 2003 agreement between the two nations.</s>China on Monday said the Sino-India border in the Sikkim sector is well demarcated and the Indian Army's action there is a "betrayal" of the position taken by successive Indian governments.

"Former Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru endorsed the 1890 Sino-British Treaty on Sikkim in a letter to the then Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959. Successive Indian governments have also endorsed this," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a media briefing.

He said India needs to observe the treaty and pull back troops immediately from Doklam.

"The India-China boundary in the Sikkim section is well demarcated. The action taken by India is a betrayal of the position taken by the Indian governments," he said.

China accused Indian troops of transgressing into the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector, which it claims as a part of its territory.

Bhutan also claims the area as a part of its territory.

China also said it has closed the Nathu La route in Sikkim for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims from India.

"The other route to Tibet through Lipu lake is open as it is located in the middle section where there is no dispute, Geng said.</s>Defence expert Praful Bakshi on Wednesday said that China is accusing India of ‘betraying’ a British-era territorial understanding over the disputed border because it is peeved off by India’s stand with America and the support received in return. “China has been accusing India of betraying the agreement which was made during the British time. When China says that India has been betraying, that indicates China is just trying to talk about its own feelings and is at the moment peeved off by India’s stand with America and its support to India,” Bakshi told ANI.

He added that the geo-political position is changing and China must understand that they are not geographically in the same place where they were in the British time in the 1800s. “They have gone into PoK and have been occupying the Indian territory of PoK,” he said.

The verbal spat between China and India on Monday escalated as Beijing accused the Indian Army’s action to stop Chinese troops from constructing a road in an area near Sikkim is a “betrayal” of the stance taken by successive Indian governments and India must withdraw from the region.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that the Sino-India border in the Sikkim sector is well demarcated. “By entering into the Chinese territory and obstructing Chinese troops’ normal activities, India violated the existing convention on the boundary and basic principle of the international law and obstructed peace and stability of the boundary area,” Geng told in an extensive briefing.

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Doka La area near the Bhutan tri-junction for almost a month in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962, when the two countries fought a brief war. Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state with a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on an 1898 treaty signed with China. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.</s>It is unclear exactly what happened at the normally quiet stretch of land in the Himalayan mountains, but Indian media reported that 3,000 troops from India, the Sikkim sector claimed by China, and Bhutan, which also lays claim to the area, came to a "virtually eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation."

"Former Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru endorsed the 1890 Sino-British Treaty on Sikkim in a letter to the then Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959. Successive Indian governments have also endorsed this,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters, stressing that New Delhi has now “betrayed” the position taken by earlier leadership, according to the Times of India.

Specifically, Geng said New Delhi needs to pull its soldiers back from the Doklam plateau, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, noting that "The India-China boundary in the Sikkim section is well demarcated."

Relations between Beijing and New Dehli are already tense, as the two nations continue a territorial struggle that has lasted over fifty years. Both nations have accused each other of ramping up ill-will by trespassing on the other’s territory.

Geng also confirmed that China has closed the Nathu La route in the Sikkim sector, a path opened in 2015 for Indian pilgrims travelling to Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash, sacred sites for Buddhists and Hindus.

"The other route to Tibet through Lipu lake is open as it is located in the middle section where there is no dispute," he said.

Rajeswari Rajagopalan, senior fellow at New Delhi’s Observer Research Foundation, suggested that this clash, days before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US President Donald Trump in Washington, was likely no "mere coincidence."

"There is actually a lot of confusion as to where this incident happened. It is not even clear if it was on the Sino-Indian border," he told India’s Defence News.

The issue of the Sikkim border region has been simmering for some time, according to Wang Dehua, director of the Institute for Southern and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Municipal Centre for International Studies, who said it’s a wonder there hasn’t been more open conflicts in the area.

Apart from the occasional skirmish, "it is nothing short of a miracle that the Sino-Indian frontier has been largely quiet, without a single shot fired for over two decades," he said.
Amid a stand-off between China and India over the Doklam tri-junction, China tells India that former Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru accepted the Convention of Calcutta which China is using to support its territorial claims. Tensions have been rising between China and India and Bhutan over Doklam since China began constructing a road in the disputed territory in mid-June.