BEIJING – China on Friday justified its massive construction activities inthe Doklam area and asked India not to comment on its “legitimate”infrastructure development on its sovereign territory.
China’s reaction came amid reports that it was building a huge militarycomplex close to the site of the Doklam standoff with India. Asked aboutreports citing satellite imagery of a Chinese military complex in the area,Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: “I have also noted therelevant report. I don’t know who offered such kind of photos.”
But at same time he said he did not have detailed information on it.
The reports raised concerns that the China may be preparing for anotherstandoff with India.
Lu, however, said: “China’s position on the Donglong (Doklam) area is quiteclear. Donglong always belonged to China and always under China’s effectivejurisdiction. There is no dispute in this regard,” he said assertingChinese sovereignty over the area which is also claimed by Bhutan.
“It is legitimate and justified. Just as China will not make comments onIndia’s construction of infrastructure on India’s territory. We hope othercountries will not make comments on China’s construction of infrastructurein its own territory,” he said.
He said China is building infrastructure for its troops and the peopleliving in the area.
“In order to patrol the border and improve the production and lives ofborder troops and residents, China has constructed infrastructure includingroads in the Donglong (Doklam) area,” Lu said.
He said China was exercising sovereignty in its own territory.
Asked about concerns that China is preparing for a second standoff atDoklam area, he said Indian troops’ intervention to stop building a keyroad close the Chicken Neck Corridor of India, has put the bilateral tiesto severe test.
Indian and Chinese troops had been locked in a stand-off for over twomonths last year in the Doklam area near Sikkim before “disengaging” onAugust 28.
In an apparent reference to Amy Chief General Bipin Rawat’s recent remarksthat Doklam is a disputed territory between China and Bhutan, Lu said: “TheIndian senior military officer has recognised that it was the Indian bordertroops who crossed the border”.
“This incident has put bilateral relations to undergo a severe test. Wehope the Indian side can learn lessons from this and avoid the incident tohappen again,” he said.
Recalling the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ChinesePresident Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Xiamen inSeptember, Lu said “actually during the summit the two leaders has reachedsome consensus on improving bilateral relations and chartering the coursefor future development”.
“We hope relevant parties can earnestly follow through on the consensusreached by the two leaders, move in the same direction and jointly upholdthe peace and stability of the border areas and stay committed for thecomprehensive development of bilateral relations,” he said.
In New Delhi, the external affairs ministry said that India and China haveestablished mechanisms which they use to resolve any “misunderstanding” andthat it was keeping a “constant vigil” on the situation in Doklam.
Yesterday it said the face-off situation that had arisen in the Doklamregion last year was “resolved following diplomatic discussions betweenIndia and China, based on which both sides arrived at an understanding forthe disengagement of their border personnel at the face-off site”.
“Subsequently, in response to repeated questions about any change in thestatus quo at the face-off site, Government had stated that there was nobasis for such imputations. Government would once again reiterate that thestatus quo at the face-off site has not been altered. Any suggestion to thecontrary is inaccurate and mischievous,” a statement by the ministry hadsaid.