WAR OF WORDS Accuses India of trying to change status quo illegally
From page 01 BEIJING: It is India, and not China, which has attempted to change the status quo in Doklam area near the Sikkim border, the foreign ministry said on Friday, dismissing Japan’s expression of support for India’s stance as factually incorrect.
The Japanese envoy to India, Kenji Hiramatsu, told HT on Thursday that no country should use unilateral force to alter the status of the Doklam or Donglang region, which is under Chinese control but claimed by Bhutan.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying dismissed Hiramatsu’s statement as uninformed. “I have seen that the Japanese ambassador to India really wants to support India (on the military standoff.) And I want to remind him not to randomly make comments before clarifying relevant facts,” Hua said.
“In Doklam, there is no territorial dispute. The boundary has been delimited and recognised by both sides. The attempt to change the status quo illegally is by India, not China,” she said.
The Japanese envoy had said in response to a question on the standoff: “We recognise Doklam is a disputed area between Bhutan and China and two countries are engaged in border talks…We also understand that India has a treaty understanding with Bhutan, that’s why Indian troops got involved in the area.”
Hua reiterated China’s demand that India should withdraw its border troops unconditionally, saying this was a precondition for any meaningful talks between the two sides. China has blamed India for the impasse at Doklam, and accused Indian soldiers of trespass and preventing Chinese soldiers from building a road in the region. India says the road, if built, will have serious security implications. The Indian troops intervened in coordination with the Bhutan government when Chinese forces tried to build the road in mid-June.
Japan shares India’s concerns over China’s One Belt, One Road project’
NEWDELHI: Japan shares India’s concerns about Chinese President Xi Jingping’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) project though Tokyo attended a meet on it for bilateral reasons. In an interview, Japanese ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu said he understands why India is involved in Doklam and backed external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement on finding a diplomatic solution. Excerpts:
Unlike India that boycotted the One Belt, One Road conference, Japan took part in it. Is the project a topic of continuing discussion between India and Japan?
We attended the conference because it was on infrastructure. Also, we factored in the bilateral ties between the two countries. But we believe these projects should have viable funding that doesn’t leave behind debt traps, protects environment and respects local regulations.
So, barring concerns of sovereignty, you have similar concerns like India?
That’s right. India and Japan are strategic partners. We continue to discuss OBOR.
Your view on the Doklam standoff between India and China?
Doklam is a dispute between Bhutan and China… The two countries are engaged in border talks… We understand India has a treaty understanding with Bhutan; that’s why its troops got involved. We believe no country should change status of Doklam by unilateral use of force.
Japan has territorial disputes with China in East China Sea.
You think incidents like Doklam are a sign of Beijing getting assertive about sovereignty?
We support the statement of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj that India is engaged with China in finding a diplomatic solution to the standoff. It is not easy to make such assumptions, and some instances could be seen as they are.
Do you think IndiaJapanUS trilateral Malabar exercises should be expanded to include countries such as Australia?
The trilateral exercise is expanding into newer areas. We welcome participation of a country like Australia. But our attempt is to first consolidate trilateral cooperation.
India has remained the largest recipient of overseas development assistance project of Japan. Are you going to have a relook at it in any manner?
China withholds data on rivers
NEWDELHI: India has not received hydrological data from China this year despite a bilateral agreement, the external affairs ministry (MEA) said on Friday, but maintained that it was “premature” to link it with recent floods in some parts of the country.
The development comes in the backdrop of the ongoing standoff between the troops of both countries in Doklam.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also did not confirm if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to China next month to attend the BRICS summit, saying he does not have any information about it. Asked about the current status of the standoff, he said, “It is a sensitive issue… We will continue to engage with China to find a mutually acceptable solution. Peace and tranquillity in border areas are important prerequisites for smooth development of bilateral relations.”
However, when asked by when the standoff will be resolved, he said, “I am not an astrologer, so I cannot predict.”
Asked if China has shared hydrological data with India in the backdrop of floods in Assam, Kumar said there was an existing expert-level mechanism, established in 2006, and there were two MoUs under which China was expected to share hydrological data on rivers Sutlej and Brahmaputra with India between May and October every year.
“This year we have not received hydrological data from the Chinese side,” he said, adding that there could be “technical reasons” behind China not sharing the information.