Other countries back us in China border dispute: India

NEW DELHI — India’s stand in its border dispute with China is supported by other countries, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj (picture) said yesterday, as she praised tiny Bhutan for standing up to China.

Ms Swaraj reaffirmed that India’s security could be jeopardised if China takes over the zone where the frontiers of India, China and Bhutan meet.

The standoff started more than a month ago after Chinese troops started building a road on the remote plateau, which is disputed by China and Bhutan.

Indian troops moved in to the flashpoint zone to halt the work.

“All the countries are understanding that India’s stand is not wrong. Justice is on our side, this is being accepted by all other countries,” Ms Swaraj told the Upper House of the Indian Parliament yesterday.

China has also declared that it has international support, with its foreign ministry saying on Tuesday that foreign diplomats were “shocked” by India’s “illegal trespassing”.

Ms Swaraj praised Bhutan, one of the world’s smallest countries, for taking an “aggressive” stand and not bowing to its giant neighbour.

Bhutan has said construction of the road is “a direct violation” of agreements with China. Bhutan and China do not have diplomatic relations.

India, which fought a war with China in 1962 over a separate part of the disputed Himalayan border, supports Bhutan’s claim.

The two nuclear-armed neighbours also share a 3,500km border, much of it contested.

“There is a written agreement signed in 2012 which states that the issue of the tri-junction (the border where the three countries meet) should be decided by India, China and ... Bhutan,” Ms Swaraj said.

Ms Swaraj also said that Chinese forces recently entered the disputed area with bulldozers and excavators with the intention of building infrastructure that would change the status quo unilaterally. In the past, the Chinese have built temporary roads in the area.

China has said Indian troops should “unconditionally” withdraw to the Indian side before talks to address the dispute can start.

Ms Swaraj said China has been demanding that India withdraw its forces from the area. “If China wants to discuss the matter, both sides should withdraw their forces and talk,” she stressed.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang reiterated his country’s stand that the withdrawal of Indian border guards to Indian territory is a “prerequisite and foundation for any meaningful talks between China and India”.

Mr Lu said at a daily briefing yesterday that Indian border guards “illegally trespassed (across) the boundary into Chinese territory”.

India and China have vied for influence in South Asia, with Beijing ploughing large sums into infrastructure projects in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Bhutan has remained closely allied to India.

The crisis is expected to be discussed when Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visits Beijing on July 27 to take part in a security forum under the Brics group of large developing nations that comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. AGENCIES