China on Wednesday laid out its position on India's incursion into Chinese territory in the Himalayas.
China's Position Concerning Indian Border Troops Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector was published Wednesday to allow the international community to become better acquainted with the facts of the issue, and to fully explain China's stance on the matter, according to a press statement by the Foreign Ministry's Geng Shuang.
India's action "severely violates" China's territorial integrity and poses "grave challenges" to regional peace and stability, said Geng.
Over 270 Indian troops crossed the Sikkim sector of the China-India border and obstructed Chinese road works in the Dong Lang area (Doklam) on June 18. As of end of July, over 40 members of the Indian military and one piece of heavy earth-moving equipment remained in Chinese territory.
Since the incident, the Chinese side has made serious representations to the Indian side, demanding an immediate withdrawal of Indian troops.
The China-India boundary in the Sikkim sector is delimited by the 1890 Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet, and is recognized by both Chinese and Indian governments.
According to the 1890 convention, the area in question is indisputably Chinese territory. Once established, the boundary came under the protection of international law. The unauthorized crossing of such a delimited boundary is a "very serious incident," the document said.
India's accusation of the "serious security implications" of road building and its attempt to make territorial claims on Bhutan's behalf have no "factual or legal grounds."
China's road building is being conducted entirely within Chinese territory and India has been kept fully informed of all proceedings throughout, a reflection of China's goodwill in the matter.
The intrusion is nothing more than an attempt to "change the status quo" of the boundary, according to the document.
Mount Ji Mu Ma Zhen is the eastern starting point of the boundary in question and also the junction of the boundaries between China, India and Bhutan. The Indian incursion occurred more than 2,000 meters from Mount Ji Mu Ma Zhen and has nothing to do with the the boundary junction.
As good neighbors, China and Bhutan have had several rounds of boundary talks, and as a third party, India has no right to interfere in or impede those talks, still less the right to make territorial claims on Bhutan's behalf.
China will defend its territorial sovereignty, safeguard the principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations, Geng said.
"Justice will prevail," the spokesperson said.
