China published an extensive document Wednesday condemning the presence of Indian soldiers in the disputed Doklam area and threatening further action, asserting that any military action on India’s part “will not be tolerated.”
The document, titled “The Facts and China’s Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops’ Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory,” demands that India remove soldiers from territory belonging to the nation of Bhutan in the Doklam territory. India moved troops into the area at Bhutan’s behest in June, after the small Himalayan nation expressed concern that China had begun an elaborate construction project near the border.
“The Indian border troops have flagrantly crossed the mutually-recognized boundary to intrude into the Chinese territory and violated China’s territorial sovereignty,” the document argues. “This is indeed a real attempt to change the status quo of the boundary, and it has gravely undermined peace and tranquility of the China-India border area.”
“The China-Bhutan boundary issue is one between China and Bhutan. It has nothing to do with India. As a third party, India has no right to interfere in or impede the boundary talks between China and Bhutan, still less the right to make territorial claims on Bhutan’s behalf,” it continues.
While the document is quick to claim China “has shown utmost goodwill and great restraint,” the Chinese further warn that “no country should ever underestimate the resolve of the Chinese government and people to defend China’s territorial sovereignty” and “China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests,” without specifying whether Beijing has prepared for military action.
The document claims that the territory in question is part of China as a result of an 1980 agreement between China and Great Britain, which controlled the land at the time.
On Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted the document was necessary to “lay out the facts and truth of the illegal trespass of the Indian border troops to the international community and give a full account of the position of the Chinese government.”
“What India has done not only severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty but also poses grave challenges to regional peace and stability and the normal international order, which will not be tolerated by any sovereign state,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang argued.
Beijing had previously moved significant military hardware closer to the Bhutan border, while its state media outlets have condemned India for its alleged aggression. A Global Times column accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of stoking “Hindu nationalism” to rise to power, and implied these attitudes could lead to more militaristic activity.
China estimates that India has placed over 270 soldiers in the region. Indian news sources suggest that the number is larger, with potentially “400 soldiers deployed by each side.”
The Indian news outlet NDTV reports that the Indian External Affairs Ministry is relying on a 2012 agreement in which any dispute between China, India, and a third country requires all three countries to discuss the matter. As Bhutan had requested India’s aid in the matter, China is the odd party out in the current dispute among interested parties.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian External Affairs MinisterSushma Swaraj are scheduled to meet this week at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this week. While North Korea is expected to be a priority issue on the table at that meeting, the India-China border dispute is almost certain to come up, as the South China Morning Post notes.
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