India continued to deploy around 400 troops along the tri-junction area atop the Doklam Plateau as its military stand-off with China reached the 45th day on Wednesday while the Chinese claimed India has reduced it to 40.

In a 15-page document released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, Beijing said on June 18, over 270 Indian soldiers, carrying weapons and driving two bulldozers, crossed the boundary in the Sikkim sector at the Doka La pass and “advanced more than 100 metres into the Chinese territory to obstruct the road building of the Chinese side, causing tension in the area.”

The statement also said that subsequently, the number of Indian soldiers reached 400 putting up three tents and entered within 180 metres into the Chinese territory.

However, refusing these claims, the Ministry of Defence maintained that ever since the stand-off began, India has been maintaining 350-400 troops at Doklam and that has not changed, sources told BusinessLine .

China also said that the China-India boundary in the Sikkim Sector has already been delimited by the ‘1890 Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet.’

“Since 18 June, the Indian border troops have illegally crossed the China-India boundary in the Sikkim Sector and entered the Chinese territory. This is an undeniable fact. The incident occurred in an area where there is a clear and delimited boundary.

This makes it fundamentally different from past frictions between the border troops of the two sides in areas with undelimited boundary,” the statement highlighted. Meanwhile, reacting to the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) hinted at the fact that for any meaningful discussion between the two, peace and tranquillity have to be maintained in the border areas.

“India considers that peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas is an important prerequisite for smooth development of our bilateral relations with China,” said the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

“Deeply concerned” In a long statement issued on June 30, the MEA had said that the government is “deeply concerned” at the China’s attempt to build roads in the Doklam region of Bhutan and that it has “serious security implications for India.” But, according to the Chinese government, it is building the road in an area – Dong Lang – which is Chinese territory and the aim is to improve local transportation.

“China did not cross the boundary in its road building, and it notified India in advance in full reflection of China’s goodwill.

The Indian border troops have flagrantly crossed the mutually-recognized boundary to intrude into the Chinese territory and violated China’s territorial sovereignty,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Interestingly, such a strong statement comes exactly within a week of the visit of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Beijing and his meeting with his counterpart and State Councillor Yang Jiechi.

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