Chinese Media Warns India on 'Border Showdown', says US Support 'Superficial'

New Delhi: This is not the time for India to display “arrogance” towards China and the so-called strategic support it has received from the US is superficial, an article in China’s state-run Global Times has said a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Referring to the Chinese military’s allegation that the Indian Army "crossed the boundary" in Sikkim section of the border, the article said, "Indian troops' provocation brings disgrace to themselves" and they should be forced to retreat "by all necessary means". "The Indian government made no objection to the Sikkim section of the China-India border. Allegations of intrusions along the western section of the China-India border often emerge, but face-offs in the Sikkim section are rare. The Nathu La pass in Sikkim was reopened in 2006, because there is no border dispute between China and India over this area," it said.

"It remains unclear whether this flare-up is the fault of low-level Indian troops or a tentative strategic move made by the Indian government," it said. "Whatever the motive is, China must stick to its bottom line. It must force the Indian troops to retreat to the Indian side by all means necessary and China's road construction mustn't be stopped," it said.

"Maintaining friendly ties with New Delhi is Beijing's basic policy. But this must be based on mutual respect. It's not time for India to display arrogance toward China," it said.

The article was posted on Global Times website hours after the Chinese foreign ministry justified the construction of a road in the Sikkim sector, saying the area "undoubtedly" is located on its side of the border as per the 1890 Sino-British Treaty. "According to the treaty, 'zhe' is the ancient name of Sikkim," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement. "As per this treaty, the area over which the Indian army has raised objection is undoubtedly located on the Chinese side of the border," he said.

The dispute over construction of a road was apparently the reason why China stopped a batch of 47 Indian pilgrims from crossing through Nathu La border in Sikkim into Tibet to visit Kailash and Mansarovar.(With PTI inputs)