`Shed illusions, Ajit Doval's Beijing visit not an opportunity to settle India-China border stand-off`

Beijing: Amid reports that India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval may hold a bilateral meeting with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi, the Chinese media on Monday said the withdrawal of Indian troops that Beijing says have crossed into China's territory is a precondition for talks.

The editorial in the Global Times said that India's withdrawal from the Chinese territory is “a basis for any meaningful dialogue between India and China”.

“The Chinese side will not talk with India on the issue before the Indian troops' unconditional withdrawal from the Chinese territory. New Delhi should give up its illusions, and Doval's Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the stand-off in accordance with India's will,” the daily said.

“The Chinese government's strong determination requesting Indian troop's withdrawal is backed by all Chinese people who are firm that we can't lose one inch of Chinese territory,” the editorial added.

It further warned that the PLA forces “will take effective countermeasures if India refuses to pull back voluntarily. The PLA is capable enough to take actions that neither Indian troops nor the government can afford.”

Saying that India's voluntary withdrawal will incur the least cost to it, the editorial said: “We don't believe India is willing and determined to have an all-out military showdown with China. If it chooses this path, Beijing will fight to the end to safeguard its territory and resist being deterred or hijacked by any force. New Delhi will have to pay a heavy price.”

“If Beijing takes countermeasures, New Delhi will be mired in a more passive political and military situation, and face its most serious strategic setback since 1962,” it further warned.

Notably, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian had on Monday hinted that the country's top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Indian NSA Ajit Doval may hold a bilateral meeting on July 27-28 in Beijing on the sidelines of the BRICS NSA Summit.

"Shaking a mountain is easy but shaking the PLA (People's Liberation Army) is hard. We would like to remind the Indian side to have no illusion," Wu had told the media.

The stand-off between China and India in the Doklam area near the Bhutan tri-junction has dragged on for the past four weeks. It started after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

India has blamed China for trying to change the status of the tri-junction and wants the issue to be resolved diplomatically. China says the withdrawal of troops by India is a precondition for talks.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in the Sikkim section.