China on Tuesday accused Indian troops of “crossing the boundary” in the Sikkim section and demanded their immediate withdrawal while asserting that it has shut down the Nathu La pass entry for Indian pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarovar because of the border standoff.
China also said that it has lodged diplomatic protests with India, both in New Delhi and Beijing, alleging that the Indian troops trespassed into Chinese territory in the Sikkim sector.
“We have lodged solemn representations in Beijing and New Delhi to elaborate on our solemn position,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, told a media briefing here.
“Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border,” he said.
About the fate of the pilgrims headed to Kailash and Mansarovar, who had returned to Gangtok after denial of permission by China to enter Tibet, Lu said their visit was called off because of security reasons.
He also linked future visits of pilgrims to India “withdrawing the troops” from the area.
“As to Indian pilgrims’ journey through Nathu La pass at Sikkim section, I think the Indian side is very clear about this. For a long time the Chinese government has made enormous efforts to provide the necessary convenience to those Indian pilgrims,” Lu said.
“But recently the Indian border personnel trespassed Chinese border to obstruct our construction, we have taken necessary actions. Out of security consideration, we have to put off the pilgrimage by the Indian pilgrims through the Chinese pass,” he said.
“On the upcoming actions, we have to depend on what the Indian side will do. They have to take action to improve the security situation,” Lu said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang last night said, “China urges India to immediately withdraw its border guards that have crossed the boundary and have a thorough investigation of this matter.”
“The Indian border guards crossed the boundary in the Sikkim section of the China-India border and entered the territory of China, and obstructed normal activities of Chinese frontier forces in the Donglang area recently, and the Chinese side has taken counter-measures,” he said in a statement.
His statement came after the Chinese Defence Ministry accused the Indian troops of objecting to building a road in what it claimed to be Chinese territory.
The dispute over construction of a road was apparently the reason why China stopped a batch of 47 Indian pilgrims from crossing through Nathu La border in Sikkim into Tibet to visit Kailash and Mansarovar.
