''Don''t determine strategic posture with China over border road''

Beijing, August 17

Asserting on the Doklam issue, state-run Chinese media said India should not determine the strategic posture between the two nations over a road along the border.

Referring to the month-long standoff in the Doklam Plateau, an editorial piece in Global Times said, “India is so narrow-minded that it believes a road along the border can determine the strategic posture between China and India.”

“India should abandon its Cold War and regional hegemonic mentalities so it can see a great number of opportunities from a rapidly developing China instead of viewing China as a threat. And it would not feel a sense of crisis simply because China is building a road along the border and, therefore, send troops to trespass on Chinese territory and obstruct Chinese construction,” the daily added.

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It said India should be open-minded rather than viewing the world as full of dangers and challenges.

The daily said, “India should reflect on its attitude towards small South Asian countries and the outside world. It should be open-minded rather than viewing the world as full of dangers and challenges.”

China has repeatedly asked India to unilaterally withdraw from the Doklam area, or else face the prospect of a military-related escalation.

The trouble started in June when India sent troops to stop China building a road in the Doklam area, which is remote, uninhabited territory claimed by both China and India’s ally Bhutan.

New Delhi said it sent its troops because Chinese military activity in Doklam, near the trijunction of the borders of India, China and Bhutan, was a threat to the security of its own northeast region, especially in Sikkim.

But Beijing has said India has no role to play in the area and diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis have not made much headway. ANI