On August 4, Haiwai Net, People’s Daily’s website targeting overseas readers, published a commentary which reiterated China’s position on the border conflict in Doklam. It warned that if India does not withdraw its troops, China will not rule out completely the option of taking military action. It stressed that for India to send troop across the border represents a very serious invasion. It alerted (India) that China will not back off from its position and will resort to all necessary measures to protect its legal rights. It warned that India should not insist on stirring up trouble for China as it will not benefit in any way from doing so.
Also on August 4, Huanqiu published an article in English. According to the Huanqiu article, from Thursday to Friday, two ministries and four institutions, including the Chinese foreign ministry, the defense ministry, the Chinese Embassy in India and People’s Daily, released statements or commentaries on the military standoff between China and India in Doklam, Tibet Autonomous Region. China urged India to pull back the trespassing troops to the Indian side of the boundary immediately and called on them to address the situation in a proper manner to restore peace and tranquility in the border region swiftly.
Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson for the defense ministry said in a statement posted on its website late Thursday night that, “The series of remarks from the Chinese side within a 24-hour period send a signal to India that there is no way China will tolerate the Indian troops’ incursion into Chinese territory for too long.”
Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences said, “If India refuses to withdraw, then within two weeks, China may conduct a small-scale military operation.”
Source:
1. Huanqiu (Global Times), August 4, 2017
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1059727.shtml
2. Haiwai Net, August 4, 2017
http://opinion.haiwainet.cn/n/2017/0804/c353596-31054539.html