China warns India of 'serious consequences' over border
China has accused neighboring India of adding troops and constructing roads along its side of the border amid increasing tensions over a standoff in a remote frontier region in the Himalayas.
The standoff broke out on June 18 when New Delhi's military forces moved into Doklam, a remote plateau in the Himalayas, which is also claimed by India's ally, Bhutan.
India claims it is legally obliged to aid Bhutan against what it calls China's advances into the disputed territory, amid reports that Chinese forces are building a road there.
On Thursday, Chinese officials urged Indian troops to withdraw immediately, warning of "serious consequences” if they did not.
"It has already been more than a month since the incident, and India is still not only illegally remaining on Chinese territory, it is also repairing roads in the rear, stocking up supplies, massing a large number of armed personnel," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"This is certainly not for peace," it warned. "If India really cherishes peace, it ought to immediately withdraw its personnel who have illegally crossed the border into the Indian side."
Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission Liu Jinsong said, "The crossing of the boundary line by Indian troops into the territory of China using the pretext of security concerns for a third party [Bhutan] is illegal.”
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry published a 15-page statement protesting to India.
China says despite its numerous diplomatic representations, India has not only not withdrawn its troops but has also been making "unreasonable demands."
Last month, China's Defense Ministry warned India "not to harbor any illusions about the the disputed territory."
“Do not push your luck and cling to any fantasies,” ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a press conference on July 24.
Chinese media have warned India of a fate worse than the defeat it suffered in a brief border war in 1962 in which China emerged victorious.
The nuclear-armed powers share a 3,500-kilometer border, much of it disputed between the two neighbors.
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