China protests as guards cross border into Tibet
Print Edition
CHINA has made a formal protest after accusing Indian border guards of crossing from Sikkim state into its Tibetan territory, China’s foreign ministry said yesterday.
“Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering,” spokesman Lu Kang told a regular briefing, adding that China has lodged “solemn representations” with India.
“We hope that the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and take actions to withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese borders.”
A statement posted on the Chinese defense ministry’s social media account offered few details about the incident, but said it had “seriously endangered peace and tranquility in the border areas.”
The Indian military has “unilaterally stirred up trouble” by obstructing road building activities on the Chinese side of the border separating Sikkim and the Tibetan region, it said.
China has blocked Indian pilgrims from crossing the border in the mountainous area “out of security concerns,” its foreign ministry said.
“For the upcoming actions we have to depend on what the Indian side will do. They have to take actions to improve the security situation,” Lu said.
Indian pilgrims
Indian media said China had turned back 50 pilgrims trying to cross into Tibet to visit a mountain revered as the home of the Hindu god Shiva. Authorities there normally allow the annual pilgrimage to go ahead.
India’s foreign ministry spokesman said last week the pilgrims had experienced “some difficulties” in movement and these were under discussion with Beijing.
In an earlier statement, China’s foreign ministry called on India to “immediately withdraw their border troops that have crossed the boundary, conduct a thorough investigation into this and safeguard peace and tranquility of the Sikkim section.”
The Sikkim section of the China-India boundary has been defined by treaties, China’s foreign ministry said, noting that the Indian government has repeatedly confirmed in writing that there is no objection.
India and China, now nuclear-armed, fought a brief but bloody war in 1962 in the eastern Himalayas.
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