After Modi-Xi meet, Chinese media says ‘former British colony India’ should pull back its 'trespassing troops' from Dokalam

New Delhi: Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday shook hands and had a conversation on a "range of issues" during the BRICS leaders' informal meeting, China’s state-run media again hit out saying India should immediately pull back its "trespassing troops" from Dokalam area.

Amid a stand-off between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section, both PM Modi and President Xi had a conversation on the sidelines of the G20 Summit that began in Germany's Hamburg on Friday.

A commentary in the official Xinhua news agency read: "Indian troops should immediately withdraw to the Indian side of the border as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries."

It says India has tried to justify its incursion in the name of protecting Bhutan, arguing that Doklam is Bhutanese territory.

It, however, maintains that according to the Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890), Doklam belongs to China.

However, according to the Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890), Doklam undoubtedly belongs to China. The agreement was inherited by India after its independence and has been repeatedly confirmed in writing by successive governments of the former British colony, the report published in Xinhua further said.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for past 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

India has said Beijing's action to "unilaterally determine tri-junction points" is in violation of a 2012 India-China agreement. According to the agreement, the boundary will be decided by consulting all the concerned parties.

The two countries share a little over 200 km of border in the Sikkim sector.

China's state-run media on Wednesday had quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a "military way" to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the "historical lessons" being offered by it.