India rubbishes China’s fact sheet says there has been no reduction in troops at Doklam
In response to the 15 page fact sheet issued by China on the stand off for Doklam , India rebutted the Chinese claim by saying there has been no reduction in the number of troops at the tri junction border (India-China-Bhutan).
"India considers that peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas is an important prerequisite for smooth development of our bilateral relations with China," New Delhi said.
As per the Chinese claim the number of Indian troops has been reduced to 40, now from 400 in June.
"Over 400 people at one point, have put up three tents and advanced over 180 metres into the Chinese territory. As of the end of July, there were still over 40 Indian border troops and one bulldozer illegally staying in the Chinese territory," the 15 page document said.
The Chinese document also stated that India is constantly inventing excuses to justify its stand at Doklam. China describes India’s stand at Doklam as an illegal crossover into the Chinese territory.
China also said that it has conveyed its firm stand to India that it must take "concrete actions" by immediately pulling back troops from Dokalam with "no strings attached" to resolve the current standoff.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last month had said that for any talks to take place both sides should first pull back their troops.
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.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval went to Beijing last month to attend the BRICS NSAs meeting.
During the visit, Doval held bilateral meeting with State Councillor Yang Jiechi. Dobval and Yang are Special Representatives of the boundary talks between the two nations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said during his talks with Doval, Yang "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.
The Indian foreign ministry had express its concerns earlier in June when China intruded into the Bhutanese territory of Bhutan by construction of a road from the south of Doklam plateau.
Doklam is a narrow plateau, which is geographically placed at the Indo-Bhutan-China tri junction, almost 15 km to the south east of Nathu La pass.
India had then intervened because of a friendship treaty signed between India-Bhutan which states its mandatory for Bhutan to take India’s guidance in its foreign policy. As a part of the treaty Indian troops crossed into Bhutanese territory in an attempt to prevent illegal construction of the road by China.
