Doklam standoff: India wants peace and tranquility as China cries foul

India has turned down China's demand that the Indian Army should immediately withdraw soldiers from Doklam near the Sikkim-China-Bhutan trijunction.

Government sources said it has been made clear that there will be no troop reduction in Doklam. 'Indian forces continue to stand against the Chinese troops,' a source said.

An official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said: 'India considers that peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas is an important prerequisite for the smooth development of our bilateral relations with China.'

India has turned down China's demand that the Indian Army should immediately withdraw soldiers from Doklam near the Sikkim-China-Bhutan trijunction

Conflicting claims

Earlier in the day, China had released a 15-page statement slamming India's stand on the ongoing border stand-off in Doklam and demanded 'immediate and unconditional withdrawal'.

In the statement, Beijing claimed it had 'notified India in advance' of its plans to build a road in Doklam, which sparked the stand-off on June 18.

A statement issued by China said 'over 400' Indian border troops had on June 18 'advanced over 180 metres into Chinese territory', and that as of the end of July, 'there were still over 40 Indian border troops and one bulldozer illegally staying in the Chinese territory.'

Beijing claims it had 'notified India in advance' of its plans to build a road in Doklam, which sparked the stand-off on June 18

It alleged that India had trespassing into Doklam region, which China sees as its territory but India and Bhutan see as Bhutanese.

New Delhi has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

New Delhi has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states

The Chinese factsheet said the standoff occurred in an area where there is a clear and delimited boundary.

China cries foul

'This makes it fundamentally different from past frictions between the border troops of the two sides in areas with undelimited boundary.

The Indian border troops' crossing of the already delimited boundary is a very serious incident as it violates China's sovereignty and territorial integrity,' reads the factsheet.

It also says that no such attempt would be tolerated by any sovereign state. 'The fact of the matter is that it is India which has attempted time and again to change the status quo of the China-India boundary in the Sikkim Sector, which poses a grave security threat to China,' it said.