Don t use trespass for political aims, China tells India

Beijing July 18 (IANS) China on Tuesday continued its attack on India over the border stand-off at Doklam in the Sikkim sector saying New Delhi "should not use trespass as a policy to realise its political aim".

The Foreign Ministry also said it had briefed foreign diplomats in Beijing over the Doklam stand-off and they were "shocked" to know about the "illegal trespass" by the Indian troops.

Beijing again warned India to withdraw troops from Doklam to avoid an escalation of the issue.

"We stress that the Indian side should not take the illegal trespass as a policy to realise their political target (aim) " Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.

"The illegal trespass by the Indian border personnel has drawn extensive attention from the international community and many foreign diplomatic missions in China said they were shocked by this."

Lu said the diplomats wanted to know about the present state of the border row on the Sikkim section of the Sino-Indian border.

Lu said the diplomats were told that Indian troops had "illegally" crossed the mutually recognised China-India boundary in the Sikkim section.

China says India has violated international rules by "illegally entering into the Chinese territory". Beijing has been trying to rally international support behind it.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a month-long stand-off at Doklam which at a tri-junction of India China and Bhutan is of strategic importance to all three countries.

In June Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in Doklam which Beijing claims as its own. India and Bhutan contest Beijing s claim.

India which has no claim over the region but fears Chinese presence in Doklam which is very close to its arterial corridor in the northeast.

"We hope the Indian side get the clear understanding of the current situation and take immediate measures to pull back the personnel who illegally crossed the boundary so as to avoid the escalation " Lu said.

India wants to solve the issue diplomatically but China says no dialogue is possible till New Delhi withdraws troops from Doklam.

--IANS
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