Sikkim standoff: May issue travel alert for citizens visiting India, says China

Beijing: China said on Wednesday it was weighing its options on issuing a travel alert for citizens visiting India depending on the security situation following the border standoff in the Sikkim section.

“The Chinese government attaches great importance to safety and lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens in accordance with the security condition of the relevant countries,” foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters.

“We will decide whether or not to issue a travel alert,” Geng said, responding to a question about write-ups in Chinese media cautioning Chinese investors in India.

On Tuesday, a leading official newspaper in Beijing warned Chinese companies operating in India to be alert and take steps to avoid being hit by anti-China sentiment.

An article in the Global Times called on Chinese firms to reduce their investments in India in view of the tension.

Since the standoff on June 6, when the People’s Liberation Army destroyed bunkers of the India Army claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces blaming India for escalating border tension and “reminding” the Indian Army about the 1962 war.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.