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China-India border dispute
ChinaDiplomacy

Diplomacy to defuse China-India border crisis hits a roadblock, sources say

Chinese state media ramps up rhetoric, warning of ‘unavoidable countermeasures’

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A conference room used for meetings between Chinese and Indian military commanders on the Indian side of the border at Bumla, Arunachal Pradesh. Talks are said to have come to a standstill. Photo: Reuters
Reuters

India’s diplomatic efforts to end a seven-week military standoff with China have hit a roadblock, people briefed on the talks said, prompting Chinese state-run media to trumpet rhetoric of “unavoidable countermeasures” on the unmarked border.

China has insisted that India unilaterally withdraw its troops from the remote Doklam plateau claimed by both Beijing and Indian ally Bhutan.

But China did not respond to India’s suggestion in the talks that it move its troops back 250 metres in return, said one source with close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

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In the low-key diplomatic manoeuvres that took place outside the public eye, the Chinese countered with an offer to move back 100 metres, so long as they received clearance from top government officials.

But there has been no comeback since, except for China’s mounting warnings of an escalation in the region, which it calls Donglang.

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