China and India have ended a two-and-a-half-month standoff over Doklam, a disputed territory in Bhutan that China claimed as its own. This standoff included China coming in and setting up road construction, as well as Chinese and Indian troops throwing rocks at each other, at one point.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said it welcomed a resolution to the standoff, but China also told India to “draw lessons” from the incident. China said it would stay “vigilant” and “defend its sovereignty,” according to a report.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the PLA would continue patrols in Doklam and “exercise sovereignty” over the region, which India has not objected to, the report said.
“The Chinese military will remain vigilant and firmly defend its national territory and sovereignty following a military standoff between China and India,” PLA and Defense Ministry Senior Colonel Wu Qian said in a statement, according to the report.
Wu Qian said:
“Peace and stability along the China-India border concerns regional peace and stability and accords with the common interests of people on both sides of the border. We remind India to draw lessons from the standoff, abide by established treaties and the basic principles of international law, and work together with China to safeguard peace and stability along the border and promote the healthy development of the two militaries.”
China had reportedly set an August 19 deadline before it “annihilates” India’s troops over a disputed region on the Doklam plateau in Bhutan, a very small country that borders both India and China.
China had demanded that India withdraw its troops from the area, and allow China to invade and annex the region.
Both India and China had military troops in the region, which China is trying to annex. Chinese troops were sent there earlier this summer, as well as construction workers, who were reportedly beginning road construction.
When Bhutan tried to stop the Chinese troops, they were overrun.
India then sent its own troops when Bhutan asked for help, which led to the two countries – China and India – being in a standoff over the region in Bhutan.
China also falsely claims areas in the South China Sea, including Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands. The contested islands are claimed by various countries, and China does not own them. China often lashes out when the U.S. performs Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOP) in the area.
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