Chinese Foreign Minister accuses India of sparking Doklam row

“The PLA has demonstrated unshakable determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity”, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said. Describing Doval as “believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border standoff between Chinese and Indian troops”, it said, “the Indian media is pinning high hopes on the trip to settle the ongoing dispute”.

India has accused China of trying to change the status of the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, and ruled out unilateral withdrawal of Indian troops. Over the period China has squarely blamed India for provocation and called to take practical measures to correct its wrongdoing.

China says it will not talk on the Doklam issue unless India withdraws troops from the region.

India and Bhutan have repeatedly said that the area of Doklam, also known as Doka La, claimed by China, belongs to Bhutan, a stand refuted by Beijing in the midst of a lengthy and tense border dispute.

Urging China to remind India of the 1962 war debacle, the editorial said that New Delhi’s bravado was never backed by substance when it came to taking on China’s military might. New Delhi is courting war over a third party, over territory that the third party – Bhutan – does not effectively control. “They have to leave [China’s territory]”, Wang said during his visit to Bangkok, as quoted by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lu, however, was quick to put a question mark on a discussion between Doval and Yang, the head of the Chinese delegation for the BRICS meeting, on the face-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Donglang or Doklam. “In other words, Indian side admitted (crossing) into Chinese territory”.

“China is no Sikkim or Bhutan, where India’s hegemonic tactics have worked”, he said.

China, meanwhile, has been frustrated with India’s refusal to sign onto a massive effort to build railways, ports and roads reaching from Asia to Europe and the Middle East.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met briefly on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany earlier this month, but neither Beijing nor New Delhi confirmed if the border issue was raised.

The borders of India and Pakistan have been witnessing an increasing number of ceasefire violations in recent months, with civilians on the Indian side often being targeted by Pakistani forces, especially in the Poonch and Rajouri areas.

Ajit Doval, India’s national security adviser, is attending a meeting in Beijing this week of security officials from the BRICS group of nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.