Don't use 'trespass' to realise political targets: China

India should not use "trespass" into the Doka La area in the Sikkim sector as a "policy tool" to achieve its "political targets", China said yesterday, asking New Delhi to immediately withdraw its troops to avoid any escalation

India has expressed concern over the road construction near the trijunction, fearing it may allow Chinese troops to cut its access to its northeastern states. File pic for representation

India should not use "trespass" into the Doka La area in the Sikkim sector as a "policy tool" to achieve its "political targets", China said yesterday, asking New Delhi to immediately withdraw its troops to avoid any escalation.

The foreign ministry also said it was in "close communication" with foreign missions in Beijing on the standoff with India, but refused to confirm whether it held a special briefing for them on the issue.

"Since the illegal trespass by Indian border personnel, many foreign diplomats in China felt shocked about this and (wanted) to confirm whether it was true," the ministry's spokesman Lu Kang said.

China reportedly held a "closed-door briefing" last week and conveyed their side of the story on the standoff near the Bhutan trijunction.

India has expressed concern over the road construction near the trijunction, fearing it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states. It has conveyed to China that the road construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India.

Asked if China stated in the reported meeting that its patience was withering, Lu said Beijing stressed that the "facts are very clear in this incident". He said the Sikkim section of the India-China boundary is mutually recognised by the two sides. "This time Indian border personnel illegally trespassed the boundary into the Chinese territory," he said. "We stress that the Indian side should not take the trespass as a policy tool to reach or realise their political targets," he said.

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