China questions India’s move to build new road in Ladakh, warns of worsening Doklam crisis

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Beijing: China on Thursday accused India of contradicting its words with actions after New Delhi decided to build a road around 20 km near Pangong Lake in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

At the same time, it warned that such a development would only worsen the on-going two-month-long stand-off in Doklam.

"It seems according to the reports the Indian side is slapping its own face. The Indian side is closely following China's road-building recently but India's actions themselves have proven that the Indian side says something and does another. Its words are in complete contradiction to its deeds in terms of border issues," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told Chinese media.

Stating that India's move was not "conducive" to peace in the region, Hua said the western sector of the boundary, where India plans to build a road, is not delimited", as per ANI.

Union Home Ministry has approved the building of a road from Marsimik La to Hot Spring in Ladakh near Pangong Lake along the LAC.

This was where the a recent scuffle between Indian and Chinese troops took place.

On the Doklam standoff, Hua reiterated "the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all the trespassing personnel and equipment serves as the prerequisite and basis for the settlement of this incident. The two sides have agreed to uphold border areas' peace and tranquility before disputes are settled. The current road construction by the Indian side is not conducive to peace and stability in that area."

Hua also said the project "will not help with settlement of the current situation". 

India and China have been locked in a standoff for more than two months in Doklam near the Sikkim sector.

The face-off began after Indian troops stopped Chinese military from building a road India believes would allow Beijing to cut its access to the Northeastern states.

Bhutan says Doklam belongs to it but China claims sovereignty over the area.

On August 21, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that a solution to the 'deadlock' at Dokalam would be found soon.

He had added that the country was well equipped to protect its sovereignty.

The minister, while speaking at an event of the Sino-India border guarding force ITBP in the natiional capital had said that he hoped China would make a positive move to resolve the issue.

"There is a deadlock going on at Dokalam between India and China. I believe there will be a solution soon. I hope China will undertake a positive initiative (to resolve the stand-off)," he had said.

The minister had further said that the world knew that India had never cast an evil eye on any country, had never attacked a nation nor did it harbour any expansionist attitude.

"We never want to expand our borders. But I can say that our security forces and defence forces possess all the might to protect our borders," Singh had maintained.

However, a day after, China had said that the only way to end the stand-off in Doklam was for India to unconditionally withdraw its troops from the area.

Hua had said that India's reasons to stop the Chinese road building activity in Doklam area was 'ridiculous'.

"So the only prerequisite and condition of this incident is unconditional withdrawal of the Indian troops and equipment," Hua had told reporters.

In a separate incident on August 15, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in stone pelting in Ladakh region that resulted in minor injuries to soldiers on both the sides.

(With Agency inputs)