Bhutan hopes to resolve border disputes 'peacefully and amicably'

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Amid the Sino-Indian border standoff in Donglang area, Bhutan Foreign Minister Damcho Dorji met his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj claiming that Bhutan hopes the situation in Donglang will be resolved "peacefully and amicably."

The two ministers met on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ministerial Meeting and both sides discussed the continuous military standoff at Donglang, the tri-junction area of three countries: China, India and Bhutan.

This was the first meeting between the two ministers since the standoff broke out and also the first time for Bhutan to officially express their voices since the press release put out by Bhutan's foreign ministry on June 29.

Indian troops trespassing into Chinese territory /Photo from Chinese Foreign Ministry

The previous Bhutanese official statement only argues that the status quo on the boundary issue should not be changed.

The latest official statement released by Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday reads that there were still 53 Indian troops and one bulldozer on Chinese soil.

Since the border standoff broke out, China has strongly condemned the illegal trespass by the Indian side and demands the troops to immediately withdraw back to their side. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry on August 2 has revealed documents which prove that the territory currently under dispute in the Donglang area definitively belongs to China.

Chinese side repeatedly stated that China is firm in its resolve to defend its territorial sovereignty.