Chinese Presence Up In Doklam, Army Chief Gen Rawat Says 'It Is Temporary'

New Delhi, Jan 18: A surge in the number of Chinese troopers is being seen in the region of Doklam, where the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Indian Army were locked in a 73-day standoff last year. Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat confirmed the escalated presence of Chinese troopers, but said the issue is not alarming.

Rawat, while speaking at the multilateral Raisina Dialogue on Wednesday, said the Chinese side has carried out some infrastructure work in the North Doklam region. However, "most of it is temporary in nature", the Army chief clarified.

According to a TOI report, the number of Chinese troopers present in the north Doklam region could roughly be around 1,600. The Indian side, however, is better poised in face on any stand-off as its troopers are stationed at the strategically key area around the Jampheri Ridge.

According to Rawat, the possibility of another Doklam-like standoff remains unlikely as the "bonhomie shared by (between India and China) has returned" to what was there prior to Doklam. "So, I don't visualise very serious trouble, but then one has to be prepared for it always," he added.

While the Sino-Indian border relations remain normal as of now, Rawat said his forces are "prepared for all kinds of eventuality".

In the past week, the Army chief evoked a sharp reaction from China after he said that India should shift focus from the border with Pakistan to the northern border (with China). "The country is capable of handling China’s assertiveness… China is a powerful country but we are not a weak nation,” he was reported as saying on Friday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 18, 2018 10:57 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).