Some media reports had claimed that Chinese troops entered India in Sikkim and even destroyed two bunkers in the area around Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction. However, latest reports indicate that the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops might not have seen such level of aggression from the Chinese.
On the contrary, China has accused Indian troops of “provocation” and alleged that Indian Army had “entered into Chinese territory” by “crossing” Line of Actual Control (LAC) and is preventing its “road construction activity”.
“The Indian border guards crossed the boundary in the Sikkim section of the China-India border and entered the territory of China, and obstructed normal activities of Chinese frontier forces in the Donglang area recently, and the Chinese side has taken counter-measures,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang claimed in a statement last night.
“China urges India to immediately withdraw its border guards that have crossed the boundary and have a thorough investigation of this matter,” Shuang said.
Chinese Defence Ministry accused the Indian troops of objecting to building a road in Donglang area, which it claims as its territory.
“Indian troops crossed the border with China in an attempt to prevent a road construction by the Chinese side,” Chinese Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Defence expert Nitin Gokhale too confirmed on Twitter that the standoff was about the road construction and no Indian bunkers were destroyed.
No Indian bunkers destroyed as is being reported; in fact last night’s PLA statement speaks about India having prevented road construction
— Nitin A. Gokhale (@nitingokhale) June 27, 2017
So far, there is no official comment from the Indian Army or Defence Ministry on the incident.
Tensions have been brewing between Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army for quite some time, thanks to the persistent provocation by Chinese side on the Indian territory of Arunachal. A flag meeting was also held between senior Army officers of both the sides on 20 June, but the tensions still continue.
Recently China shut down the Nathu La pass entry for Indian pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarovar following the border standoff. This should be seen as a part of the pressure tactics by China.
