BEIJING- Any attempt by China to change the status quo along the Indianborder may lead to another Doklam-like stand-off between the two nations,Indian envoy Gautam Bambawale has warned.
The Indian envoy, however, suggested that the best way to prevent suchincidents is through candid and frank talks.
Bambawale made these remarks in an interview to the Hong Kong-based SouthChina Morning Post, during which he said that the un-demarcated borderbetween India and China is “the most serious problem between the twocountries”.
The Indian envoy also called on the need to redefine the boundary soon.
Bambawale said New Delhi will oppose the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) but won’t let the difference over Belt and Road become a disputewith Beijing.
He also downplayed the reports of India joining the bloc of the US, Japanand Australia to counter China.
During the interview, Bambawale also confirmed that Prime Minister NarendraModi will visit China to take part in the SCO summit in June during whichthere will “definitely” be a bilateral meeting between him and President XiJinping.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a China-dominated securitygrouping, is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO. The SCO summitis due to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao from June 9-10.
The remarks from Bambawale came several months after the peacefulresolution of a bitter stand-off at Doklam in the eastern sector of theirborder last year. The issue was resolved in August, only after souring thebilateral ties.
“In order to maintain the peace and tranquillity (along India-Chinaborder), there are certain areas, certain sectors which are very sensitive,where we must not change the status quo. If anyone changes the status quo,it will lead to a situation like what happened in Doklam,” Bambawale saidin the interview which was published on Saturday.
“The Chinese military changed the status quo in the Doklam area andtherefore India reacted to it. Ours was a reaction to the change in thestatus quo by the Chinese military. When incidents like Doklam happenedlast year, it meant that we were not frank and candid enough with eachother. So we need to increase the level of frankness, ” he said.
On India’s concerns about China’s Belt and Road project, Bambawale said ifthe initiative meets the norms of an international programme then New Delhihas no problem.
“One of the norms is that the project should not violate the sovereigntyand territorial integrity of a country. Unfortunately, there is this thingcalled the CPEC which violates India’s sovereignty and territory integrity.Therefore, we oppose it.”
The CPEC is the flagship project of China’s Belt and Road project, anetwork of roads, ports and sea lanes that aims to connect Asia, Africa andEurope. India opposes it as it cuts through Kashmir held by Pakistan, butclaimed by it.
“We might have differences of opinion on Belt and Road, but that we mustnot allow that difference of opinion to become a dispute,” Bambawale said.