After China threatened a "small-scale military action" against India to oust its troops from the Doklam region within two weeks, it is yet again urging India to understand the seriousness of the issue and withdraw its troops.
Also read: Is China's threat of 'small-scale military action' against India hollow?
Citing the 15-page document titled "The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory" that the Chinese foreign ministry released on Wednesday, August 2, Beijing has once again asked New Delhi to "immediately and unconditionally withdraw the troops."
Liu Jinsong, deputy chief of mission of the Chinese Embassy in India, told reporters from The Hindu, The Navodaya Times, The Asian Age, Deccan Herald and the Frontline that India must take the position document seriously and New Delhi must pull back, reported Xinhua.
Reiterating China's stand, Jinsong said that New Delhi must be cautious about its position and not underestimate its neighbour's statement that it would go to any length to protect its "territorial sovereignty."
"China aims to uphold the principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations," he explained.
The document released earlier had said that about 270 armed soldiers had entered about 100 metres into the Chinese territory with bulldozers and halted China's road construction. "Over the following days the number of Indian trespassers reached 400 with two bulldozers and three tents, and reached as deep as 180 metres [into Chinese territory]," the statement said, according to the South China Morning Post.
"There are still 48 Indian troops and one bulldozer illegally staying in the Chinese territory more than one and a half months after the outbreak of the incident," the Chinese diplomat added.
However, on Thursday, August 4, Beijing accused India of building up troops and repairing roads in the region.
"It has already been more than a month since the incident, and India is still not only illegally remaining on Chinese territory, it is also repairing roads in the rear, stocking up supplies, massing a large number of armed personnel," the foreign ministry said in a statement, according to CNBC. "This is certainly not for peace."
While many believed that through the statement, China was trying to broker peace, but Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang claimed that the detailed statement was to "further explain to the international community the truth about Indian army's intrusion, and fully state the position of the Chinese government."
Between all the statements that the foreign ministry and the diplomat have made, what comes as confusing is China's take on whether the number of Indian soldiers at the border has increased on declined. Is China not able to put a finger on the numbers?
India and China have been blaming each other for intruding into the border. While the Indian side had said that the Chinese troops intruded into the Indian border in Sikkim and destroyed bunkers in June, the People's Liberation Army accused India of creating issues by halting a road construction in the area.
