Jaishankar: India taking a diplomatic "deep breath" over #SikkimStandoff
What's the story
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar has called on political parties to not make provocative statements about the ongoing Sikkim standoff with China. During a Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs briefing, Jaishankar said India doesn't want to compete with China's increasingly belligerent rhetoric. He said India is following the diplomatic approach of taking a "deep breath" and engaging in dialogue to resolve the issue.
16 Jul 2017
No room for negotiations, India must withdraw: Chinese media
On July 16, continuing its tirade against India amid the ongoing Sikkim standoff, state-owned Xinhua news agency asserted that there was no room for negotiations with India and that the only solution was for Indian troops to withdraw from Doklam. The commentary further warned against worsening of the situation and the possibility of India suffering embarrassment if it refuses to do so.
18 Jul 2017
PLA exercises in Tibet: Is China preparing for war?
On July 18, state-run China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the People's Liberation Army conducted a military drill near the Arunachal border, focusing on quick troop movement and targeting enemy aircraft. This is latest in the series of exercises that China has conducted during the Sikkim stand-off and has been viewed as a message to India with respect to Chinese claims in Arunachal Pradesh.
Sikkim standoff
What context is this happening in?
Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in month-long tense stand-off in the Doklam region located in the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction, with both sides accusing each other of transgressing into each others' territory. China has been insisting that withdrawal of Indian troops is a pre-condition for negotiations. Chinese media has also taken a sharp tone with India, asking India to remember 1962 among other things.
Rhetoric
Chinese daily warns of "all-out confrontation" with India
Jaishankar's statement comes even as the state-run Chinese daily Global Times stated that China must prepare for the possibility that the Sikkim standoff could become a long-term situation. This could trigger "an all-out confrontation" between both sides along the border. The article said India's actions are a "blatant infringement on China's sovereignty." Chinese forces reportedly conducted live firing drills recently in the disputed region.
Information
China is attempting at portraying India as provocateur
Parliamentary Committee Chairman Shashi Tharoor said Jaishankar urged the panel's 22 members not to divulge details of the meeting, given its sensitivity. Jaishankar reportedly said India is following a careful approach to tackle China's attempts at portraying it as the provocateur in the ongoing standoff.