Over 1,600 Chinese troops are still present in the Doklam region of Bhutan this winter, contrary to their usual practice of leaving the area around November, The Times of India reported on Monday.
The Doklam plateau, near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, was the site of a 74-day-long standoff between Indian and Chinese troops from June to August. Both Thimphu and Beijing claim it as their territory. India, which supports Bhutan’s claim, claimed to have stepped in to stop China from building a road there.
To prepare for the freezing winter, the Chinese Army has beefed up its infrastructure, including sentry posts, storage facilities and roads, in the region, sources told The Times of India. They also have built two helipads.
The level of infrastructure put in place indicate that the troops are prepared to camp in the area through the winter, at least till March or April, defence sources told the Hindustan Times. According to military officials, Chinese soldiers earlier carried out patrols in Doklam only till the onset of winter in November, when the region starts getting snow.
India has not yet reacted to the reports. It has maintained that the status quo remains in the area, as agreed when the standoff ended in August.
Defence sources told The Times of India that India had “achieved its strategic objective” of not letting China extend its existing road in Doklam, but the fallout had been “the almost permanent stationing” of Chinese troops.
On Monday, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the diplomatic handling of the Doklam standoff showed the importance of the bilateral relations between New Delhi and Beijing. Wang was in India to attend the Russia-India-China foreign ministers’ meeting.
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