New Delhi: Raising its sharp verbal attack on India a notch higher this time from Indian soil, China on Thursday described Indian troop deployment in Doklam as a “risky and indisciplined move” by New Delhi, adding that the number of Indian troops at Doklam is currently 48 as of now. Beijing had on Wednesday claimed the figure of Indian troops in Doklam to be 40 at the end of July while Indian sources had put the figure as 350. Beijing further said it had notified New Delhi twice — on May 18 and June 8 — regarding road construction in the area out of goodwill but that there was no response from India then.
Lashing out at India, senior diplomat and China’s deputy chief of mission in the Chinese Embassy Liu Jinsong said in New Delhi that the deployment of Indian troops in Doklam was “shocking” for China and accused India of “trampling” on Chinese goodwill. Mr. Jinsong again warned India of “serious consequences” if it did not pull out all troops from Doklam, adding that New Delhi must “pull back its legs” (boots on the ground) from Doklam. He also referred to President Xi Jinping’s recent utterance that “military option is the fundamental guarantee” to protect China’s territorial integrity. The Chinese diplomat also accused India of “embarrassing” Bhutan by deploying troops in Doklam.
