Another India-China War? Ball’s in India’s Court, Says China

China ruled out a compromise in the military standoff with India in the Sikkim section.

In unusually blunt remarks, China’s Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said, “The ball is in India’s court”.

(Photo: Harsh Sahani/The Quint)

China today ruled out 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 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.

The Chinese government is very clear that it wants a peaceful resolution of the situation, for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a “precondition”, he asserted.

Also Read: ‘Ghost of Tibet’ Back to Haunt India as China’s Sikkim Incursion

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Doklam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese army construction party came to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region, which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, 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 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 Zhaohui, China’s Ambassador to India

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.

Also Read: Riled by India’s Roadblock, China Turns the Screws in Sikkim

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 another 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.

Luo Zhaohui, China’s Ambassador to India

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."

Also Read: We Are Not the China of 1962: Beijing Hits Back at Arun Jaitley

(Published in an arrangement with PTI.)