China said on Thursday it was absurd for India to use the excuse of Chinese road-building to cross over their border, and accused India of militarising its side of the frontier.
According to the Chinese interpretation of events, Indian guards crossed into China’s Donglang region early in June and obstructed work on a road on the plateau.
Troops from the two sides then confronted each other close to a valley controlled by China that separates India from Bhutan — a close Indian ally — and gives China access to the so-called Chicken’s Neck, a thin strip of land that connects India to its remote northeastern regions.
India has said it had warned China that construction of the road near their common border would have serious security implications.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, speaking at a daily news briefing, again urged India to withdraw its personnel to the Indian side “to avoid there being an even more serious situation creating even more serious consequences”.
Geng said China did not understand what reason India had for believing the road was a security risk, and that China had every right to build roads in its own territory. It was “ridiculous” for India to cross the border on the pretext of concern over the road, he added.
Beijing holds wargames in Tibet region
Amid the Sikkim standoff, the Chinese Army is carrying out exercises simulating real battle scenarios at high-altitude areas in Tibet, testing new equipment, including a light battle tank. The exercises were being carried at an altitude of 5,100 metres, the Chinese language service of the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
China plans to launch cargo service to Pakistan
China is planning to launch a road and rail freight service to Pakistan through the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a move which could raise concerns in India. The new line will start from Lanzhou, capital of northwestern China's Gansu Province, travelling through Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the Gwadar Port of Pakistan, Xu Chunhua, director of Lanzhou International Trade and Logistic Park, was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency. However, it has not been specified when the service will be launched. In May last year, a rail and road cargo service opened between Lanzhou and Kathmandu.
