MALLYA CASE IN CLOSING STAGES IN LONDON

BEIJING: China on Tuesday evaded a direct response to Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat’s remarks that there had been a major redu-ction of Chinese troops at Doklam and insisted its forces in the area were protecting the country’s “territorial sovereignty”.

On Monday, Rawat had said there was a significant reduction of Chinese troops at Doklam near the Sikkim border, the scene of a tense 73-day standoff that ended in August.

He also said another incident in Tuting area of Arunachal Pradesh, arising from an attempt by Chinese troops to build a road on the Indian side, had been resolved.

“The Donglang (Doklam) area has all along been part of China and under China’s continuous and effective jurisdiction.

There is no dispute in this regard,” said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang when he when he was asked about Rawat’s comments.

“Chinese border troops patrolling and stationed in the Donglang area are exercising sovereignty rights in accordance with the stipulations of historical conventions and upholding territorial sovereignty,” he said, without commenting on the issue of troop reduction.

Lu did not refer to Rawat’s remarks about India and China having resolved the issue at Tuting and only reiterated China’s claim over Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing describes as South Tibet.