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==Bibliography== |
==Bibliography== |
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* {{citation |title=The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory (2017-08-02) |last=China Foreign Ministry |date=2017-08-02 |url=http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/P020170802542676636134.pdf |publisher=Government of China |access-date=2017-08-15 |ref={{sfnref|China Foreign Ministry|2017 |
* {{citation |title=The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory (2017-08-02) |last=China Foreign Ministry |date=2017-08-02 |url=http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/P020170802542676636134.pdf |publisher=Government of China |access-date=2017-08-15 |ref={{sfnref|China Foreign Ministry|2017}}}} |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
Revision as of 21:52, 20 August 2017
2017 China–India border standoff | |||||
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Belligerents | |||||
India (on behalf of Bhutan) | China | ||||
Casualties and losses | |||||
several injured [1] | several injured [2] |
The 2017 China India border standoff refers to the military border standoff between the Indian armed forces and the People's Liberation Army of China over construction of a road in Doklam, known as Donglang, or Donglang Caochang (meaning Donglang pasture or grazing field), in Chinese. On 16 June 2017 Chinese troops with construction vehicles and road-building equipment began extending an existing road southward in Doklam, a territory which China asserts be its own under continuous and effective jurisdiction while India and Bhutan consider as Bhutanese territory.[3][4][page needed][5][6][7][8] On June 18, 2017, around 270 Indian troops, with weapons and two bulldozers, entered Doklam to stop the Chinese troops from constructing the road.[4][page needed][5][9] The two sides have since been locked on a standoff.
Background
Doklam is an area disputed between China and Bhutan located near their tri-junction with India.[10][11] Unlike China and Bhutan, India does not claim Doklam but supports Bhutan's claim.[12][13][14]
China's claim on Doklam is based on the 1890 Convention of Calcutta between China and Britain, which stated in Article I:[4][page needed]
The boundary of Sikkim and Tibet shall be the crest of the mountain range separating the waters flowing into the Sikkim Teesta and its affluents from the waters flowing into the Tibetan Mochu and northwards into other Rivers of Tibet. The line commences at Mount Gipmochi on the Bhutan frontier, and follows the above-mentioned water-parting to the point where it meets Nipal territory.
China asserts that by this Convention, the starting point of the Sikkim-Tibet border is “Mount Gipmochi on the Bhutan frontier” and that this clearly defines the tri-junction point.[4][page needed][15] As per Chinese claims, Doklam is located in the Xigaze area of Tibet, bordering the state of Sikkim[16]
The 1890 Convention of Calcutta says nothing about Bhutan's border other than mentioning Gipmochi is on its frontier, since it was not a party to the Convention.[17]
In 1949, Bhutan signed a treaty with India giving allowance to India to guide its diplomatic and defense affairs. [18] In 2007, the treaty was superseded by a new friendship treaty that replaced the provision that made it mandatory for Bhutan to take India's guidance on foreign policy, providing broader sovereignty to Bhutan and not requiring it to obtain India's permission over arms imports.[19][20] Article 2 of the 2007 Friendship Treaty signed by India and Bhutan in 2007 states:[21]
In keeping with the abiding ties of close friendship and cooperation between Bhutan and India, the Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Government of the Republic of India shall cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests.
Former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador of India to China, Nirupama Rao said:
Bhutan and India enjoy the closest relationship of mutual trust and confidence and enduring friendship. There is absolutely no controversy about military-to-military cooperation and understanding between our two countries. India holds Bhutanese sovereignty as sacred and inviolable.[citation needed]
Ambassador of Bhutan to India Vetsop Namgyel stated,
Doklam is a disputed territory and Bhutan has a written agreement with China that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, peace and tranquillity should be maintained in the area.[citation needed]
India charges that China has violated this 'peace agreement' by trying to construct roads in Doklam.[22] India also criticized China for "crossing the border" and attempting to construct a road (allegedly done "illegally"), while China criticized India for entering its territory.[23]
Events
On 29 June 2017, Bhutan reportedly protested to China against the construction of a road in the disputed territory.[24] According to the Bhutanese government, China attempted to extend a road that previously terminated at Doka La towards the Bhutan Army camp at Zornpelri near the Jampheri Ridge two km to the south; that ridge, viewed as the border by China but as wholly within Bhutan by both Bhutan and India, extends eastward approaching India's highly-strategic Siliguri corridor.[25] The Bhutanese border was reportedly put on high alert and border security was tightened as a result of the growing tensions.[26]
On the same day, China Foreign Ministry released a map depicting Doklam as part of China. Using the the map as illustration, China's Spokesperson Lu Kang read Article I of the 1890 Convention of Calcutta and asserted that it proved that the Donglang (Doklam) area, a territory North East of Gipmochi as shown on the map, belongs to China.[4][page needed][27]
On 30 June, India Ministry of External Affairs released the statement entitled Recent Developments in Doklam Area stating its official position.[28] It charges China of changing status quo in violation of a 2012 understanding between the two governments regarding finalizing the tri-juction boundary points and causing security concerns, widely understood as at its strategic Siliguri Corridor.[29] It says that "Indian personnel" at Doka La coordinated with Bhutan and "approached the Chinese construction party and urged them to desist from changing the status quo."
At the press conference on 3 July 2017, China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang stated that former Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru accepted the 1890 Britain–China treaty. [30][31] Contrary to Chinese claim, India media reported that Nehru’s 26 September 1959 letter to Zhou, cited by China, was a point-by-point refutation of the claims made by the latter on 8 September 1959. Nehru made it amply clear in his refutal that the 1890 treaty defined only the northern part of the Sikkim-Tibet border and not the tri-junction area. Nehru claimed that "rectification of errors in Chinese maps regarding the boundary of Bhutan with Tibet is, therefore, a matter which has to be discussed along with the boundary of India with the Tibet region of China in the same sector."[citation needed]
India media claims that, as Nehru in his reply had made it clear that boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan did not fall within the scope of the discussion, the following quote of Nehru's letter by Chinese government's Spokesperson Geng Shuang was out of context:[32]
This Convention of 1890 also defined the boundary between Sikkim and Tibet; and the boundary was later, in 1895, demarcated. There is thus no dispute regarding the boundary of Sikkim with the Tibet region.
To clarify what he thought the India media was trying to muddy waters, Geng Shuang replied:[33]
The so-called tri-junction, as the name suggests, is a point. It is not a line, much less an area. India misinterprets tri-junction point as an area, from ulterior motives. This time, the trespassing point of Indian army, is on the Sikkim-China border, which is 2000 metres away from the tri-junction point, Mount Gipmochi, by the 1890 Treaty.
On 5 July 2017, the Chinese government said that it had for the past 24 months a basic consensus with Bhutan that Doklam belongs to China, and there was no dispute between the two countries.[34]
On 19 July 2017, China renewed its call for India to withdraw its troops from Doklam. [35]
On 24 July 2017, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that it is very clear who is right and who is wrong in the standoff in Doklam, and that even senior Indian officials have publicly said that Chinese troops have not intruded into Indian territory.[36][37] "In other words, India admitted that it has entered Chinese territory. The solution to this issue is simple, which is that they behave themselves and withdraw," Wang said.[36][37]
On 2 August 2017, the Chinese foreign ministry released the now widely known 15-page official position statement The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory.[38] According to this document, there were still over 40 Indian troops and one bulldozer in Doklam (Donglang) region.[39]
In the 15 page statement released on August 2, 2017, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing accused India of using Bhutan as "a pretext" to interfere and impede the boundary talks between China and Bhutan. The report referred to India's "trespassing" into Doklam as a violation of the territorial sovereignty of China as well as a challenge to the sovereignty and independence of Bhutan.[4][page needed][40]
China says in the 15-page document that it notified India regarding its plan to construct road "in advance in full reflection of China’s goodwill". On 4 August 2017, The Ministry of External Affairs of India refused to confirm or deny this when asked that if India received notification, why it did not use diplomatic channels before sending its troops across the border but now is asking for diplomatic solution.[41] China charged that India is certainly not for peace though it always put peace on its lips.[42]
The Bhutanese government on August 2017 later denied an earlier statement by China that Bhutan has relinquished its claims to Doklam.[43]
On August 15, 2017, several Indian and Chinese soldiers were alleged to have been injured after a melee broke out between them when a group of Chinese soldiers were alleged to have attempted to infiltrate across the border near Pangong Lake into Indian controlled territory in Ladakh.[44]
See also
- China–India relations
- Bhutan–China relations
- Sino-Indian War
- Nathu La and Cho La clashes
- Siliguri Corridor
References
- ^ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-china-idUSKCN1AV29F
- ^ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-china-idUSKCN1AV29F
- ^ "Press Release – Ministry of Foreign Affairs". www.mfa.gov.bt. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f China Foreign Ministry 2017, p. ?. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFChina_Foreign_Ministry2017 (help)
- ^ a b Barry, Steven Lee Myers, Ellen; Fisher, Max (26 July 2017). "How India and China Have Come to the Brink Over a Remote Mountain Pass". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "China says India violates 1890 agreement in border stand-off". Reuters. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ Safi, Michael (5 July 2017). "Chinese and Indian troops face off in Bhutan border dispute". Retrieved 10 August 2017 – via The Guardian.
- ^ "Doklam standoff: China sends a warning to India over border dispute". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "China warns Indian troops to get out of contested region". Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ "Doklam Standoff: Beyond Border Dispute - Mainstream Weekly". www.mainstreamweekly.net. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ Mitra, Devirupa (5 July 2017). "Expert Gyan: On India, China Stand-Off At Border Tri-Junction With Bhutan". The Wire. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ Barry, Steven Lee Myers, Ellen; Fisher, Max (26 July 2017). "How India and China Have Come to the Brink Over a Remote Mountain Pass". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 August 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Sikkim standoff: Beijing should realise Bhutan is as important to India as North Korea is to China". Firstpost. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ Staff (28 June 2017). "Indian bunker in Sikkim removed by China: Sources". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017.
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- ^ ."关系:洞郎地区 (3964647)S". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ Staff, The Wire. "India-China Face-Off: Watch Manoj Joshi and M.K. Venu Discuss". thewire.in. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ Som, Vishnu (29 June 2017). Shukla, Shuchi (ed.). "At Heart Of India-China Standoff, A Road Being Built: 10 Points". NDTV. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017.
{{cite news}}
:|archive-date=
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timestamp mismatch; 29 June 2017 suggested (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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- ^ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Editorial". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ https://mea.gov.in/ (2 March 2007). "INDIA-BHUTAN FRIENDSHIP TREATY" (PDF). https://mea.gov.in/Images/pdf/india-bhutan-treaty-07.pdf (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2017.
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- ^ Sikkim standoff: Beijing should realise Bhutan is as important to India as North Korea is to China, First Post, 30 June 2017.
- ^ Som, Vishnu (29 June 2017). Shukla, Shuchi (ed.). "At Heart Of India-China Standoff, A Road Being Built: 10 Points". NDTV. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Bhutan protests against China's road construction". The Straits Times. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ Shaurya Karanbir Gurung Behind China's Sikkim aggression, a plan to isolate Northeast from rest of India, Economic Times, 3 July 2017.
- ^ "Bhutan issues scathing statement against China, claims Beijing violated border agreements of 1988, 1998". Firstpost. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: China releases new map showing territorial claims at stand-off site". Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ^ "Recent Developments in Doklam Area". mea.gov.in. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ Diplomat, Ankit Panda, The. "What's Driving the India-China Standoff at Doklam?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on July 3, 2017". www.fmprc.gov.cn. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ "Nehru Accepted 1890 Treaty; India Using Bhutan to Cover up Entry: China". Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ^ "Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on July 3, 2017". www.fmprc.gov.cn. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ "Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on July 3, 2017". www.fmprc.gov.cn. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ PTI (5 July 2017). "No dispute with Bhutan in Doklam: China". Retrieved 6 July 2017 – via The Economic Times.
- ^ "China holds live-fire drills in disputed Himalayan territory, tells India to withdraw". 19 July 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ a b CCTV中文国际 (25 July 2017), [Focus Today] 20170726 | CCTV-4, retrieved 17 August 2017
- ^ a b Wang Zihao, U.S. scholar: India should remember the history, China Daily, 2017-08-03
- ^ China Foreign Ministry (2 August 2017). "The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory (2017-08-02)" (PDF). http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/ (PDF). Retrieved 15 August 2017.
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- ^ China Foreign Ministry (2 August 2017). "The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory (2017-08-02)" (PDF). http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/ (PDF). Retrieved 15 August 2017.
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- ^ http://www.livemint.com/Politics/ofIIdIQ8Dp93jC5EfUdUKJ/China-demands-unconditional-withdrawal-by-India-in-a-15page.html
- ^ Ministry of External Affairs, India (4 August 2017), Weekly Media Briefing by Official Spokesperson (August 4, 2017), retrieved 16 August 2017
- ^ "China says India building up troops amid border stand off". Reuters. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ "Bhutan Denies Ceded Claim Over Doklam". Sputnik. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-china-idUSKCN1AV29F
Bibliography
- China Foreign Ministry (2 August 2017), The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory (2017-08-02) (PDF), Government of China, retrieved 15 August 2017
{{citation}}
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