New Delhi/Beijing: A trip by Indian journalists to Tibet has been cancelled by China following a standoff between the two countries in the Doklam area near Sikkim. The trip was scheduled to take place from July 8th to 15th. The decision was conveyed to the batch of journalists by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, PTI reported. China organises a sponsored visit for select Indian journalists to Tibet every year.
A stand-off erupted between the two militaries after the Indian Army blocked construction of the road by China in the Doklam area, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan. India on Friday expressed deep concern over China constructing the road in the disputed area and said it had conveyed to Beijing that such an action would represent a significant change of status quo with "serious" security implications for India.
The stand-off between the Indian and Chinese troops led to the cancellation of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra through Nathu La in Sikkim.
India has pushed in more troops in a “non-combative mode” to strengthen its position in the area. This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province. They were, however, pushed back.
China's official news agency has asked New Delhi not to “deviate consensus on developing bilateral relations”. Asking India to withdraw its troops from the area to end the current standoff, Xinhua news agency in a commentary said, "It is well known that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary has been demarcated by the 1890 Sino-British treaty.”
(With PTI inputs)
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