India’s action in Sikkim is ‘betrayal’ of treaty: China

Beijing, Jul 3 (PTI) China said today that the Sino-India border in the Sikkim sector is well demarcated and the Indian Army’s action there is a “betrayal” of the position taken by successive Indian governments. “Former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsed the 1890 Sino-British Treaty on Sikkim in a letter to the then Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959. Successive Indian governments have also endorsed this,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a media briefing. He said India needs to observe the treaty and pull back troops immediately from Doklam. “The India-China boundary in the Sikkim section is well demarcated. The action taken by India is a betrayal of the position taken by the Indian governments,” he said. The spokesman, however, said the line for diplomatic communication between the two sides is “open and smooth”. On the likelihood of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, Geng said he has “no information to offer at the moment” about the arrangements for bilateral meetings between Xi and leaders of other countries. China has accused Indian troops of transgressing into the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector, which it claims as a part of its territory. Bhutan also claims the area as a part of its territory. China also said it has closed the Nathu La route in Sikkim for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims from India. “The other route to Tibet through Lipulekh pass is open as it is located in the middle section where there is no dispute, Geng said. PTI