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China never backs down in defending sovereignty; Asks India to withdraw troops and equipment from its territory

August 17, 2017

Beijing, Aug 17 (INP) China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday once again asked India to withdraw all its troops and equipment from Chinese territory, as the border standoff in the Dong Lang (Doklam) area approaches its second month. On June 18, over 270 armed Indian troops with two bulldozers crossed the boundary in the Sikkim Sector and advanced more than 100 meters into China. As of end of July, there were still over 40 Indian troops and one bulldozer in Chinese territory. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said she was not aware of the details regarding fighting with stones by Chinese and Indian troops at the border. She said the Chinese border troops have always been committed to upholding the peace and tranquility in the China-India border areas and patrolling in the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control. In 1890, China and the UK signed the Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet, which delimited the boundary between the Tibet region of China and Sikkim. According to the Convention, Dong Lang is Chinese territory. Chinese troops patrol the area and Chinese herdsmen graze livestock there, the spokesman said. "India intentionally started this standoff to test China," said Li Qingyan of the China Institute of International Studies. China's bottom line is the border line, as shown in the 1962 incident with India. INP/AH