China tells India to take 'concrete action', withdraw from Doka La to resolve the standoff, which began when the former started to build a road there
The standoff began on June 16. Representation pic
China yesterday said it has conveyed its firm stand to India that it must take "concrete actions" by immediately pulling back troops from Doka La in the Sikkim section with "no strings attached" to resolve the current standoff.
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Providing the details of the July 28 meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and State Councillor Yang Jiechi for the first time, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two officials exchanged views on BRICS cooperation, bilateral relations and relevant major problems.
Doval was in Beijing last month to attend the BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa - NSAs meeting. Doval and Yang are also the special representatives of the boundary talks between the two nations.
Yang held bilateral meeting with Doval "at his request and in accordance with the practice", the ministry said in a written reply to a question about the discussions relating to the standoff at Doka La, which began when China started constructing a road in the area.
"Yang Jiechi expressed China's stern positions and explicit requirements on the trespass of Indian border troops into China's territory at the Sikkim section of China-India boundary," it said, indicating that there was no breakthrough during the talks between Doval and Yang.
India's position
India's position on the issue was made clear by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last month, when she said both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution to the border standoff.
India also conveyed to the Chinese government that the road construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for it.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that during his talks with Doval, Yang also "urged India to respect China's territorial sovereignty, the international law and the basic rules governing international relations and immediately pull back the trespassing India border troops to the Indian side of the boundary with no strings attached and resolve the current incident".
Not reduced troops: India
India has not reduced its troops in Doka La, senior government officials said later yesterday, rebutting China's claim that the number of Indian security personnel at the tri-junction has come down.
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