Beijing/New delhi: China on Thursday said the “atmosphere” was “not right” for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, amidst a standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section.
The “atmosphere is not right” for a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi, Chinese Foreign Ministry officials said ahead of the G20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg from Friday.
However, Indian sources in New Delhi said a meeting of BRICS leaders will take place on the sidelines of G20 summit on Friday which is expected to have the presence of, among others, Modi and Xi, suggesting that there was no bilateral meeting between the two leaders scheduled in Hamburg.
China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army’s construction party attempted to build a road.
Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. There were reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang expressed hope that “India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the boundary to uphold the peace tranquillity of the China and India border areas”.
“I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides,” he told a media briefing here when asked about the meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
Geng, however, said the BRICS leaders meeting which will be attended by Modi and Xi will take place on the sidelines of the summit on Friday.
On the possibility of a Xi-Modi meeting, Geng said relevant information will be released in a timely manner. China’s state-run media yesterday had quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a “military way” to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the “historical lessons” being offered by it.
Meanwhile in New Delhi, the border standoff between armies of India and China at the Sikkim sector can be resolved diplomatically and Chinese soldiers should leave the Bhutanese territory to reduce tension in the area, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said on Thursday.
“I think the issue can be resolved at the diplomatic level. The Chinese troops should stay where they were earlier. China is approaching towards Bhutanese territory. We want them not to come forward.
“This is our security concern and this is our stand. Bhutan’s King had on Wednesday given a statement that Chinese (troops) are entering into its territory. This tension can be resolved at the diplomatic level. Across the table we can solve all the problems,” Bhamre said.
Bhamre’s comments came on a day China accused India of “trampling” on the principles of the Panchsheel pact and demanded that India “correct its mistakes” by pulling back its troops immediately.
Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui had on Wednesday said China had ruled out a compromise in the military standoff with India and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the “grave” situation.
China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for the past 19 days after a Chinese army’s construction party came to build a road. (PTI)