Sushma Swaraj Conveys Stern Message to China Over Doklam; No Change in Status Quo

New Delhi, May 28: Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj today conveyed a stern message to China over its claims on Doklam. While addressing a press conference on the fourth anniversary of National Democratic Alliance (NDA ) in New Delhi, the External Affairs Minister said that there was no change in status quo in Doklam and the position of China and Bhutan on the matter continued to exist as before. Swaraj told reporters, "There has been no change in the situation at the Doklam faceoff site. Status quo is continuing.”

The Doklam stand-off between India and China began in June last year. Indian troops entered the Doklam plateau to stop the Chinese military from building a new road as it would have given strategic advantage to China. India considered it as a serious security concern.

If China would have gotten control of Doklam, then it would have been very easy for it to target India’s ‘Chicken Neck’. It is a strip of land in West Bengal's Siliguri, which connects India with the states in the north-east.

In August last year, both the countries agreed to withdraw all their troops from Doklam. India had also warned China of changing the status quo. According to India's envoy to China Gautam Bambawale, only talks can avoid these type of incidents in future.

India had blamed China for changing the status quo on Doklam which led to the three-month-long standoff. In March this year, Bambawale told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, "The Chinese military changed the status quo in the Doklam area, and therefore India reacted to it. Ours was a reaction to the change in the status quo by the Chinese military.” However, China considers Doklam as its part because of historical conventions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2018 09:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).