Sikkim stand-off continues as both sides refuse to budge.
India today said it will continue to engage with China to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Doklam standoff, asserting that peace and tranquillity on the border is an important pre-requisite for smooth bilateral relationship.
"We will continue to engage with China to find a mutually acceptable solution," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said replying to a volley of questions on the issue. He said said peace and tranquillity in the border areas is an important pre-requisite for smooth development of bilateral relationship.
Asked about incident between Chinese troops and Indian border guards in Ladakh on August 15, the MEA spokesperson said, "Such incidents are not in the interest of either side." He said two border personnel meetings (BPMs) had taken place between Indian border guards and Chinese troops recently. He said one BPM had taken place at Chushul on August 16 and another one at Nathu La a week before.
When asked whether China had shared hydrological data with India as floods have severely hit Assam and Bihar, Kumar said no such data was received from Beijing on Brahmaputra this year. India and China have an existing mechanism under which both countries share hydrological data. Kumar said non sharing of hydrological data by China cannot be linked to the current standoff as there can be technical reasons for it.
Japan came out in full support for India in its protracted military stand-off with China at Doklam, near the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan trijunction, saying no country should use unilateral forces to change the status quo on the ground.
Acknowledging the situation at the Doklam Plateau, Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu said, "We recognise Doklam is a disputed area between Bhutan and China and the two countries are engaged in border talks. We also understand that India has a treaty understanding with Bhutan, that?s why Indian troops got involved in the area".
The endorsement of the Indian position by Japan is a significant development at a regional level as China has violated agreements with Japan as well and not with only India and Bhutan. It is pertinent to mention that Japan is also engaged with the sovereignty issue with China over East China sea.
The Bhutanese Government had earlier told ANI over phone, "Our position on the border issue of Doklam is very clear." Reacting to the developments in Doklam, the Bhutanese Government had on June 29 issued a press release in which it clearly stated that the construction of the road inside the Bhutanese territory is a direct violation of the agreements and affects the process of demarcating the boundary between the two countries.
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