New Delhi: The flag meeting between Indian and Chinese Army officers on Friday over the ongoing Doklam standoff remained inconclusive.

The Army officers from both the sides extensively discussed the Doklam standoff meeting at Nathu La mountain pass in Sikkim.

Usually, flag meetings are held between Brigadier level officers, but Friday's meet was attended by Major General rank officers from both sides.

“In the Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) attended by Major General rank officers from both sides, India insisted that the face-off could be resolved through simultaneous withdrawal of troops by the Indian and Chinese sides,” sources said.

The two sides hold BPM in five points which include Daulat Beg Oldie in northern Ladakh, Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh, Chusul in Ladakh, Bum-La near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and Nathu-La in Sikkim.

The standoff close to the tri-junction of India-China-Bhutan started on June 16, after a construction party from China`s People`s Liberation Army entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct the road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

India has said Beijing's action to "unilaterally determine tri-junction points" violated a 2012 India-China pact which says the boundary would be decided by consulting all the concerned parties.

The two countries share a little over 200 km of border in the Sikkim sector.

Amid the border stand-off with China, Defence Minister Arun Jaitely on Friday rejected reports about shortage of ammunition and asserted that the armed forces have enough quantity to face any eventuality. </s> India and China continue to militarily reinforce their positions with the almost two-month long troop standoff in Doklam. Diplomatic channels, however, are also being used in a bid to diffuse the tense faceoff in the Bhutanese territory of Doklam. According to sources "some build-up" in terms of additional troops and tanks as well as artillery and air defence units in the Tibet Military District by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). </s> Amid the standoff at Doklam plateau in Sikkim sector between Indian and Chinese troops, India on Friday told Bhutan to not get intimidated by Beijing’s angry rhetoric, even as Bhutan urged New Delhi to amicably resolve the border stand-off with China. The sources at a meeting of BIMSTEC nations told The Indian Express that these were the broad contours of the discussion between Indian and Bhutanese leaders and officials. Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal are members of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also met her Bhutanese counterpart Damcho Dorji. This was the minister-level meeting between Bhutan and India ever since the genesis of the Doklam border stand-off in June. The sources also added that both India and Bhutan discussed the Doklam issue and exchanged notes on the “way forward”. Dorji said after the meeting: “We hope the situation in Doklam will be resolved peacefully and amicably.” He stayed away from giving specific details. Also Read: Don’t be intimidated by China: India to Bhutan

India behaving like mature power in Doklam standoff, says US expert

A top American defence expert has opined that India is “behaving like a mature power” in the Doklam standoff and making China look like an adolescent throwing a tamper tantrum. Professor of strategy at US Naval War College James R Holmes said: “New Delhi has done things right thus far, neither backing away from the dispute nor replying in kind to Beijing’s over-the-top rhetoric. It is behaving as the mature power and making China look like the adolescent throwing a temper tantrum.”

Army raises alert level in Arunachal Pradesh as Chinese officials meet US counterparts

As China continues to engage in belligerent rhetoric over the Doklam standoff, the Indian Army has cautiously put its units in Arunachal Pradesh on a higher alert, putting some troops in the state ahead of their usual locations but still short of the Chinese border.

Sources revealed to the The Indian Express that, as a precautionary measure, many units of the Dimpaur-headquartered 3 Corps and Tezpur-headquartered 4 Corps have been placed on “higher alert in a No War No Peace mode”.

The sources also emphasised that these measures are not related to to any major build-up of China’s military in Tibet. The Indian side has not observed any major movement of China’s military so far. The Indian Express had reported earlier that in the eastern sector, Army units in Sikkim have already been staged forward as they undertake their Operational Alert this month which has been advanced from October. Also Read: Cautiously, Army raises alert level in Arunachal Pradesh as Chinese officials meet US counterparts

China, India must work to resolve Doklam standoff, says US commander

A top American commander said today that the ongoing Doklam standoff between Indian and Chinese troops is a matter of concern, even as he asked both countries to work together and resolve the issue diplomatically. India and China have been locked in a face-off in the Doklam area for more than 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese People’s Liberation Army from building a road in the area.

Commander of the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry B Harris echoed the State Department’s view that the US encourages the two countries to resolve their differences diplomatically. In a statement to PTI, Admiral Harris said “Well, I think that any time you have two great powers at odds across a common border, that’s an area of concern. Of course, it’s potentially dangerous.”

“But I think that I would echo those sentiments of our own government leaders, America’s national leadership, that we encourage both India and China to engage in diplomacy, to help reduce these tensions,” Admiral Harris added.

Chinese Navy eyes Indian Ocean as part of PLA’s plan to extend its reach amid Doklam standoff

Amid the ongoing Doklam standoff, Chinese Navy has reached out to India to maintain security China in Indian Ocean amid increasing concerns in New Delhi over the growing presence of the PLA fleet in India’s backyard. In a first, People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) threw open its strategic South Sea Fleet (SSF) base in the coastal city of Zhanjiang to a group of Indian journalists. “It is my opinion China and India can make joint contributions to the safety and security of the Indian Ocean,” Capt Liang Tianjun, Deputy Chief of General Office of China’s SSF said. His remarks came as China’s Navy embarked on a massive expansion to extend its global reach. Also Read: Chinese Navy eyes Indian Ocean as part of PLA’s plan to extend its reach

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a stand-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for seven weeks now after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area. China claimed that they were constructing the road within their territory and has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau. New Delhi has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India’s access to its northeastern states.

India has conveyed to the Chinese government that the road construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for it. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim. China also claims that Thimphu has no dispute with Beijing over Doklam.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App </s> Troops from China’s People’s Liberation Army continue to deploy construction equipment in an effort to drive a dirt track through the strategic Doklam plateau despite a three week stand-off with the Indian Army and the Royal Bhutan Army, senior Indian government officials said on Friday. The PLA’s road works, the officials said, are aimed at bringing a road close to Doka La, India’s last military post on the junction of its boundary with Bhutan and China.

Both sides have reinforced their positions amidst a continuing war of words between Beijing and New Delhi. Indian military officials rejected claims that there were signs of imminent conflict in the region — the site of intense skirmishes in 1967, provoked by similar disputes over border works.

In first official comments on the crisis, New Delhi admitted that its troops had blocked PLA road works inside Bhutan territory claimed by China, saying “such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India”.

India and Bhutan, the government said, have been in “continuous contact” over the Doklam developments. “In coordination with the Bhutanese government, Indian personnel, who were present at general area Doka La, approached the Chinese construction party and urged them to desist from changing the status quo… these efforts continue,” a government statement said.

It said the matter has been “under discussion” at the diplomatic level, both in New Delhi and Beijing. Sources said that Indian ambassador Vijay Gokhale had conveyed India’s concerns in Beijing, while senior officials in the Ministry of External Affairs have reached out to their Chinese counterparts. “It was also the subject of a Border Personnel Meeting at Nathu La on 20 June,” the government said.

The Indian side has underlined that the two governments had agreed in 2012 that the tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalised in consultation with the countries concerned. “Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri-junction points is in violation of this understanding,” it said.

In Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang said diplomatic channels with India were “unimpeded” for “meaningful talks” over the military stand-off but maintained that Indian troops must first withdraw from the Doklam area over which Beijing has “indisputable sovereignty”. He said Indian troops “trespassed” the recognised delineated boundary between China and India on June 18.

Donglong (the name China uses for Doklam), he said, had been a traditional pasture for Tibetan residents. “We have exercised good administration over the area and before the 1960s, people from Bhutan required consent from China for cattle grazing and the Tibetan archives still have receipts of the same,” Lu said.

“Frankly, this crisis has surprised the government”, a senior Indian diplomatic official said, “coming after what New Delhi had seen as a willingness on China’s part to iron out problems in the relationship. During their recent summit meeting in Astana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told President Xi Jinping that we did not want differences to want disputes, and he agreed”.

Bhutan’s Army, Indian military sources said, has remained in close touch with their Indian counterparts, but has not operationally deployed in the effort to push back Chinese road-building in Doklam. “Bhutan is in a very uncomfortable position,” a diplomat said. “It is acutely sensitive about the intrusion on its sovereignty, but also does not want a crisis to break out”.

The Doklam plateau was first claimed by China in the late 1950s, in the build-up to its 1962 war with India. Ever since 1988, PLA patrols have regularly cut past Bhutan’s claim line, the Sinche La ridge, using a network of dirt tracks which lead up to Chele La post, the country’s permanent position on the Zompelri ridge, which leads westward from India’s Doka La post.

Indian government sources said the ongoing crisis began on June 16, when the PLA moved a substantial earthmoving unit on to the Doklam plateau, and began building a road leading towards Doka La. Royal Bhutan Army soldiers from the Zompelri ridge, the sources said, attempted to intervene, but were pushed back on to the ridge.

However, in response to a request from the beleaguered Bhutanese troops, Indian soldiers on Doka La moved down the ridge, and obstructed the border works, leading to a stand-off.

Indian Army sources said this confrontation had been preceded by a scuffle between a PLA road construction unit and Indian troops on the night June 4-5, which had resulted in minor injuries to two Chinese personnel. China then used earthmoving equipment to demolish a two-decade-old earth-and-rock bunker near Doka La, at a position Indian soldiers refer to as Laltain.

Troops, military sources said, are now located on either side of a position in Chinese-claimed Bhutanese territory below Doka La, called Turning Point, in a face-to-face position, using banners and loud-hailers to assert their claims.

“No pushing and shoving is taking place”, a government official insisted. “The video that has been doing the rounds is archival, not from the current crisis, and completely misrepresents the situation.”

New Delhi, an Indian diplomat said, has told Beijing that its construction works mark an effort to unilaterally determine a three-country junction marked a violation of written accords arrived at between special representatives of the two governments.

In addition, New Delhi has rejected Beijing’s claims, made in statements by its Foreign Ministry, that the India-China boundary in Sikkim is settled, noting that the two countries have yet to agree to demarcation of their borders.

Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region, experts say, could be aimed at pushing Bhutan to agree to swap Doklam — a springboard for potential Indian strikes on China’s road and future rail links north to Lhasa — for other territory it has asserted claims to in the north.

Though both sides appear committed to avoid any escalation of the stand-off, the history of the 1967 crisis in the Chumbi Valley — the same territory now at stake — shows disputes over border construction can have serious outcomes. In that case, India responded to Chinese trench construction on its side of the boundary by laying a barbed-wire fence, leading the PLA to open fire with machine guns.

Indian Army units, well positioned on high ground above the Sebu La pass, were able to bring down accurate artillery fire, destroying several bunkers and inflicting large numbers of casualties. Later that year, a scuffle on the Cho La pass again led to clashes, in which the PLA was pushed back three kilometres. The initial attack, scholar Taylor Fravel recorded, was not authorised by China’s all-powerful Central Military Commission, and then Premier Zhou Enlai subsequently ordered the PLA not to open fire unless fired upon.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App </s> The Indian Army has increased its troops along the eastern border with China in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh amid the ongoing Doklam standoff, Reuters reported on Saturday. The military alert has been raised as “a matter of caution”, the news agency quoted unidentified officials as saying.

In Arunachal Pradesh, several units of the 3 Corps headquartered in Dimapur and 4 Corps in Tezpur have been placed under the “No War No Peace” mode, The Indian Express reported. The Army has also reportedly ordered that no convoys of military trucks be allowed to pass through the area to avoid sending out a wrong signal to China.

However, some reports claimed that the troop level was enhanced as part of the annual exercise in high altitude area. The training was rescheduled from September to now to let the soldiers complete the weather acclimatisation process, according to ANI.On Friday, a flag meeting between major-general rank officers from the Indian and the Chinese Army was held at the Nathu La border in Sikkim, The Times of India reported. But it failed to reach a resolution, as China demanded that India withdraw its troops from Doklam.

India and China are currently locked in a diplomatic standoff. Both nations have maintained that troops from the other country had transgressed into their territory in the Sikkim sector’s Doklam area.

Bilateral ties have been strained since the Indian Army stopped China from constructing a road in the region. New Delhi has made it clear that it will not allow China to construct a motorable road up to the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction through the Doklam plateau. </s> With China intensifying its bellicose tone amid the ongoing Doklam standoff, India has deployed more troops along the entire stretch of its border with China in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors, senior government officials said. According to PTI, the officials said that the “caution level” among the troops has also been raised. “The troop level along the border with China in the Sikkim and Arunachal sectors has been increased,” said the officials on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.

The move to increase the deployment along the nearly 1,400-km Sino-India border from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh was taken after conducting a detailed analysis of the situation, the officials said.

The Sukna-based 33 Corps as well as 3 and 4 corps based in Arunachal and Assam have been entrusted the task to protect the sensitive Sino-India border in the eastern theatre. However, the officials declined to give any figures or percentage of increased deployment citing their inability to disclose “operational details.”

The officials also ruled out enhancing troops at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction in Doklam where around 350 army personnel are holding on to their position since June 16 when they stopped Chinese troops from constructing a road near the disputed region.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App </s> In a strategically key move, India has poured in more troops along the entire stretch of its border with China in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the face of heightened rhetoric by Beijing over the Doklam standoff, senior government officials said on Friday.

The “caution level” among the troops has also been raised, the officials told PTI.

The decision to increase the deployment along the nearly 1,400-km Sino-India border from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh was taken after carrying out a detailed analysis of the situation and considering China’s aggressive posturing against India on Doklam, the officials said.

“The troop level along the border with China in the Sikkim and Arunachal sectors has been increased,” said the officials on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.

The Army’s Sukna-based 33 Corps as well as 3 and 4 corps based in Arunachal and Assam are tasked to protect the sensitive Sino-India border in the eastern theatre.

The officials declined to give any figure or percentage of increased deployment, saying they cannot disclose “operational details.”

According to defence experts, roughly 45,000 troops including personnel having completed the weather acclimatisation process are normally kept ready along the border at any given time, but not all are necessarily deployed.

The soldiers, deployed over 9,000 feet, have to go through a 14-day-long acclimatisation process.

The officials, however, said there is no enhancement of troops at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction in Doklam where around 350 army personnel are holding on to their position for nearly eight weeks after stopping Chinese troops from constructing a road on June 16.

Bhutan and China have competing claims over Doklam, and are negotiating a resolution.

China has been ramping up rhetoric against India over the last few weeks, demanding immediate withdrawal of Indian troops from Dokalam. The Chinese state media, particularly, has carried a barrage of critical articles on the Dokalam stand-off slamming India.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj recently said both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, and favoured a peaceful resolution of the border standoff.

India also conveyed to the Chinese government that the road construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for it. </s> China is battle ready and not afraid to go to war with India which will face "all-out confrontation" along the entire disputed border, a Chinese daily warned on Tuesday.

An article in the state-run Global Times said China must deploy more troops along the border with India and speed up road construction in Doklam where the two sides have been engaged in a month-long standoff.

The stand-off began when Indian troops stopped Chinese soldiers from building a road in Doklam, an area disputed by China and Bhutan.

"China doesn't fear going to war to safeguard sovereignty either, and will make itself ready for a long-term confrontation," a commentary by Duo Mu said.

"China must be prepared for future conflicts and confrontation. China can take further countermeasures along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

"If India stirs up conflicts in several spots, it must face the consequence of an all-out confrontation with China along the entire LAC.

"The 3,500-km border has never been short of disputes. Since the 1962 border war, the Indian side has repeatedly made provocations," Duo said.

China and India have a 3,488-km border, of which 220 km falls in the Sikkim sector where Doklam is situated.

Doklam is at a tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan.

China calls Doklam its own, a claim contested by India and Bhutan who cite the pending ownership of the territory.

The commentary comes after the People's Liberation Army conducted a live-fire drill in Tibet, which borders India.

"According to the Indian media, Indian troops are stationed at the border area and have set up logistical support. They even claim that India will continue the confrontation with China at the Sikkim section of the China-India border until the Chinese troops withdraw."

"In response, China must continue strengthening border construction and speed up troop deployment and construction in the Doklam area. These are legitimate actions of a sovereign country.

"If India plans to devote more resources in the border area, then so be it. China can engage in a competition with India over economic and military resources deployment in the border area.

"With growing national strength, China is capable of deploying resources in remote border areas.

"As the confrontation goes on, China needs to get ready for the face-off becoming a long-term situation and at the same time needs to maintain a sense of rationality." </s> China on Tuesday again told India to withdraw its troops from the disputed border at Doklam as a Chinese newspaper warned that Beijing was battle ready and not afraid to go to war with India in an “all-out confrontation”.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said foreign diplomats in Beijing were briefed over the Doklam stand-off and that Indian troops had “illegally” crossed the mutually recognised China-India boundary on the Sikkim section.

He said India “should not take the illegal trespass as a policy to realise its political target” adding, the foreign diplomats in Beijing were “shocked” over the trespass by India.

China and India have a 3,488-km border, of which 220 km falls in the Sikkim sector where Doklam is situated. Doklam is at a tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan.

China calls Doklam its own, a claim contested by India and Bhutan.

China said India violated international rules by “illegally entering into the Chinese territory”. Beijing has been trying to rally international support behind it.

“The illegal trespass by the Indian border personnel has drawn extensive attention from the international community and many foreign diplomatic missions in China said they were shocked by this,” Lu said.

“We stressed the facts are very clear in this incident. The Sikim section on China-India boundary is mutually recognised by the two sides,” Lu added. “This time the Indian border personnel illegally trespassed into Chinese territory.”

Lu warned India to withdraw troops from Doklam to avoid an escalation. “We hope the Indian side get the clear understanding of the current situation and take immediate measures to pull back the personnel.”

Meanwhile, a commentary in the state-run Global Times said China doesn’t fear going to war and will make itself ready for a long-term confrontation.

The article by Duo Mu said China must deploy more troops along the border with India and speed up road construction in Doklam where the two sides have been engaged in a month-long standoff.

It suggested that New Delhi triggered the dispute as it was worried over China’s rapid economic rise. The stand-off began when Indian troops stopped Chinese soldiers from building a road in Doklam.

“China doesn’t fear going to war to safeguard sovereignty either, and will make itself ready for a long-term confrontation,” said the commentary.

The writer said one important reason that prompted India to trigger the border dispute was its worry over China’s economic development.

“China has risen quickly to be the world’s No. 2 economy… New Delhi is deeply concerned with China’s rapid rise. Provocation at the border reflects India’s worry and attempt to sound out China.”

The commentary said China doesn’t recognise the land under India’s actual control as Indian territory and accused New Delhi of “poisoning” the atmosphere for border negotiations.

“China must be prepared for future conflicts and confrontation. China can take further counter-measures along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

“If India stirs up conflicts in several spots, it must face the consequence of an all-out confrontation with China along the entire LAC. The 3,500-km border has never been short of disputes. Since the 1962 border war, the Indian side has repeatedly made provocations.”

China must continue strengthening border construction and speed up troop deployment and construction in the Doklam area, Duo said. “These are legitimate actions of a sovereign country.”
India increases its military alert amid a border standoff with the People's Liberation Army of China at Doklam.