BEIJING: The Chinese military on Thursday criticised Army Chief GeneralBipin Rawat’s recent remarks that Doklam is a disputed territory, assertingthat it is very much part of China, and India should draw lessons from the73-day standoff to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Reacting for the first time to General Rawat’s comments, Colonel Wu Qian,spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Defence, told a media briefing thatDoklam is part of China.
General Rawat earlier this month said that India needs to shift focus fromits border with Pakistan to that of China and spoke of pressure beingexerted by Beijing along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has occupied the area in thewest of Torsa nullah called northern Dokalam. At the actual spot the twosides have disengaged. The tents remain. The observation posts remain. Thisis a territory disputed between Bhutan and China,” the army chief had saidon January 12 on the eve of the Army Day.
Wu said: “the remarks of the Indian side also shows that the illegalcrossing of the Indian border troops is clear in fact and nature”.
“Donglong (Doklam) is part of China,” Wu said, while responding to therecent remarks of Gen Rawat that the Doklam is a disputed territory betweenChina and Bhutan.
Wu said the Indian side should draw lessons from the incident to avoidsimilar incidents in the future.
Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Dokalamsince June 16 after the Indian side stopped construction of a road in thedisputed area by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute overDokalam. The face-off had ended on August 28.
Referring to Gen Rawat’s remarks that India should take the neighbouringcountries along with it, Wu said: “I want to emphasis that the countryshould be treated equally regardless of its size.
“The concept sphere of influence is demonstration of Cold War mentality.The Chinese side (is) always opposed to it,” he said.
Rawat had said that countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, SriLanka and Afghanistan have to be kept on board as part of a broaderstrategy to deal with China, and India must make “wholehearted” efforts tocontinue extending support to them.
Wu also denied reports that China plans to establish a military base orcounter terrorism base in Afghanistan.
“The report on China building a military base in Afghanistan is totallygroundless,” he added.