The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday dismissed as inaccurate news reports that said Chinese forces were still present at the Doklam region in the Sikkim sector and were building a military complex at the site.
“The government once again reiterates that the status quo at the face-off site has not been altered,” Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.
The standoff, he added, had been resolved after diplomatic discussions between the two countries, which had arrived at an understanding to disengage their border personnel at Doklam.
On Monday, China had criticised Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat for calling Doklam a disputed territory and said his “unconstructive” comments were not helping maintain peace at the border.
China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said Rawat’s statement went against the consensus Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had reached at the BRICS summit in September 2017.
In December 2017, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that the standoff between the two armies in Doklam had put “severe pressure” on bilateral relations. He was the first top Chinese official to visit India since the 74-day standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops that ended in August 2017.
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