NEW DELHI (TIP): Beijing on July 29 hardened its stance on the standoff with Indian troops, with the Chinese foreign ministry asking India to withdraw its troops from the Donglong area in Sikkim sector as a precondition for a “meaningful dialogue”.

China went a step further and in a reference to the 1962 war said India should learn “historical lessons”. The Chinese defence ministry joined ranks with the foreign ministry and dismissed the protests by Bhutan that People’s Liberation Army soldiers violated its territory in Donglong, saying its troops operated on “Chinese territory” and also asked India to “correct” its “wrongdoing”.

In effect, this also means that the pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, which China has put off given the tensions, is unlikely to resume anytime soon. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang displayed a photograph of the Indian “incursion” into Donglong area.

Later, the ministry uploaded two photographs on its website. “The diplomatic channel for communication remains unimpeded. We urged the Indian side to withdraw troops back to the Indian side of the boundary immediately. This is the precondition for the settlement of this incident and also the basis for any meaningful dialogue,” Lu said.

In a parallel briefing, Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Col Wu Qian dismissed Bhutan’s protests and said, “I have to correct when you say Chinese personnel entered Bhutan’s territory. Chinese troops operated on Chinese territory.”

Source: The Tribune