China's army tells India: Remember history and stop 'clamour' for war

The People's Liberation Army today delivered a strong warning to India, calling on the Indian Army to "learn from historical lessons and stop clamouring for war".

Amid an on-going stand-off in the Sikkim sector of the border, PLA spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters that Indian border personnel had "entered Chinese territory" and "tried to stop the normal activities of the Chinese border defence forces in the Donglang region". He called on India to "correct its wrongdoing and withdraw their personnel from the Chinese territory."

Colonel Wu also delivered a strong warning to India, when asked to comment on Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's comments on India being prepared for the scenario of a two-front war.

"Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible," Colonel Wu said. "We hope the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war."

Chinese media have also pointed out that the PLA has carried out an exercise in Tibet involving "a new type of 35 ton light tank". A journalist asked Colonel Wu if the tank was aimed at India. He confirmed "a type of tank undertook trials" on the plateau. "The purpose of it is to test the parameters of the equipment and is not targeted against any country".

Separately on Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stepped up its claims that India had "transgressed" the border. The incident, China says, is in Donglang or the Doklam plateau which Beijing claims but it is seen by India and Bhutan as Bhutanese territory.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang even held up photographs at a daily briefing saying they "proved" India had trespassed, and said the India-China border at Sikkim had a clear legal basis since the 1890 treaty between China and Britain.  "It is an undeniable fact that Indian troops have trespassed the boundary," he said.

"We urge the Indian side to to withdraw troops back to the Indian side of the boundary. This is the precondition for the settlement of the incident and also the basis for us to conduct a meaningful dialogue."

He did not, however, address the issue of Bhutan issuing a demarche to protest Chinese road activities in Doklam, which triggered the stand-off with Indian troops opposing the construction activities.

Source:India Today