A report submitted by a parliamentary panel has called the Chinese intrusion at Doklam last year a “blatant but unsuccessful” attempt to change the status quo, adding that it was concerned that Chinese infrastructure built “uncomfortably” close to the tri-junction has not yet been dismantled, PTI reported. The report was tabled in Parliament on Monday.
In 2017, India was locked in a 74-day military standoff with China at the Doklam sector in Sikkim. The Doklam plateau is located near the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China. Both Bhutan and China claim it as their territory.
The government has denied any direct threat from Chinese troops, but the Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, said it is better to have a sense of “healthy scepticism” while dealing with China, reported The Indian Express.
“Even if they have withdrawn their troops from Doklam for the time being, China’s strategic intentions should not be taken casually,” the report on India-China relations said. “The Committee would, therefore, urge the government not to let its vigil down in order to prevent any untoward incident in future.”
The report said that it took 13 rounds of diplomatic discussions between India and China to resolve the standoff. The report also mentioned 24 rounds of boundary talks between China and Bhutan, and said China has been trying to persuade it to barter Doklam for some other territory further north. It said that Bhutan requires all support and assurances from its “time-tested” ally India for it to take a firm position on this issue.
“Doklam was not a sovereignty issue for India as the disputed territory was Bhutanese, but nevertheless it was a major security challenge for New Delhi,” the report said.
The committee appreciated the government’s handling of the standoff and the “timely action of security forces” that checked the People’s Liberation Army troops from continuing with their road construction activity in South Doklam.
The committee also suggested that a comprehensive Border Engagement Agreement between the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army was needed to avoid skirmishes between the two countries.
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