Troops must go, China minister urges India

BEIJING: China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has blamed India for triggering the military standoff near the Sikkim border, calling on New Delhi to withdraw its border troops to resolve the crisis.

Wang is the senior-most Chinese official so far to have commented on the impasse, which has entered its second month and plunged ties to an icy low.

A statement in Chinese issued by the foreign ministry quoted Wang as telling reporters in Thailand that Indian officials had “admitted” Chinese troops didn’t cross into Indian territory. This, he said, means Indian soldiers had entered Chinese territory.

The “problem was very straightforward”, Wang told reporters. “Even Indian officials publicly said that Chinese soldiers didn’t enter the Indian territory. In other words, Indian side admitted (crossing) into Chinese territory.”

The resolution of the problem is very “simple”, he said: “Indian troops have to go out.”

In New Delhi, sources said there is no change in India’s position as far as the resolution of the standoff is concerned.

The government’s official position remains the same as enunciated in the external affairs ministry’s statement issued on June 30, the sources said.

The external affairs ministry had said India had acted in coordination with the Bhutan government to oppose the construction of a road by Chinese troops in Donglang area, which is claimed by Thimphu.