India has ulterior motives: China
INDIA AND CHINA ARE LOCKED IN A STANDOFF SINCE INDIA OPPOSED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A ROAD BY CHINESE TROOPS
China on Friday accused India of “ulterior motives” in claiming the entire Doklam or Donglang region as part of the trijunction with Bhutan, saying New Delhi’s stance went against its acceptance of a British-era convention on national boundaries in the area.
The alleged trespass by Indian troops occurred at a location 2,000 metres from the point defined by China as the tri-junction, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a news briefing.
“The so-called tri-junction point, as its name implies, is a point instead of a line or area. The 1890 convention between Great Britain and China relating to Tibet and Sikkim (shows that the point) commences at Mount Gipan mochi in the east and follows the water-parting until it meets Nepal,” he said. The “illegal trespass” by Indian troops had occurred at a point 2,000 metres from Mount Gipmochi and had “nothing to do with tri-junction point”, he contended.
“In disregard of the boundary convention, the Indian side takes entire Doklam region as part of tri-junction...The Indian side introduced idea of tri-junction point into the incident and attempts to enlarge the point into area. That is absurd and out of ulterior motives,” he said.
India and China have been locked in a tense standoff in the Sikkim sector since Indian troops opposed the construction of a road by Chinese troops at Donglang, which is claimed by Bhutan. India has said its troops were acting in coordination with the Bhutan government.
New Delhi and Thimphu have asked Beijing to maintain status quo in the region. But China responded by accusing Indian troops of illegally crossing the frontier and obstructing the activities of its forces.
India and Bhutan’s perception of the tri-junction differs from that of China, and a Chinese map has depicted the point far south of its depiction on Indian maps.
Geng noted that successive Indian governments had recognised the 1890 convention.
“The Indian government has repeatedly recognised the effectiveness of the 1890 convention on the boundary between Tibet and Sikkim. It has nothing to do with 1962 war since (the boundary) is already recognised by the Indian side. Once it has been recognised, the convention has been effective. It has nothing to do with passing of time or changing of governments,” he said.
Geng dismissed the contention of India’s external affairs ministry that China violated the understanding reached on the tri-junction. “To tell you clearly, there is no breach, no violation (of the understanding between the Special Representatives). We always believed that the line is not an area. By equating the point with an area, it is the introduction of a new concept (by India),” he said.