‘India admitted to crossing into China’

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

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

A statement published by the Chinese foreign ministry quoted him as telling reporters in Thailand that Indian officials had “admitted” that Chinese troops didn’t cross the border into Indian territory. This, he claimed, meant Indian troops had crossed into Chinese territory.

The “problem was very straightforward”, he told reporters, and that “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.”

Wang’s statement comes days before India’s national security adviser visit to Beijing for a BRICS security summit.

China has repeatedly said that the precondition for talks to resolve the issue is the withdrawal of Indian troops to its side of the border.

A “meaningful dialogue” between NSA Doval and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi on the ongoing Doklam standoff was unlikely though the two could meet for talks during Doval’s visit to Beijing for a BRICS security summit later this week, China had indicated Monday.

“The crux now is Indian border troops illegally stayed on China’s territory. Once again we urge India to pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. I want to stress that this is precondition for any meaningful talks between the two sides,” Lu Kang, the foreign ministry spokesperson, had said.