Politics
21:46, 26-Jul-2017
Will China adopt 'conciliatory' tone on border row with India?
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By CGTN’s The Point
A mutual concession for the six-week-long military standoff between China and India in Doklam is unlikely to take place as Beijing will not offer diplomatic bargains after Indian soldiers intruded on Chinese territory, experts say.
China insists the Indian army’s complete withdrawal from the undisputed area is the precondition for any softer tones and further negotiation on the incident, Ye Hailin, director of the Center for South Asia Studies at Beijing's Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told CGTN’s The Point.
Beijing will not prepare any alternatives, he added.
If New Delhi accuses China of changing the “status quo” in the region and seeks China’s suspension of the domestic construction, India itself has to suspend infrastructure construction alongside the border, even in some disputed areas, Ye went on.
His comments came after China on Monday warned India to abandon any expectations of military concessions by China and urged New Delhi to meet Beijing "halfway in jointly safeguarding the border region’s peace and tranquility.”
Srikanth Kondapali, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, noted this “halfway” rhetoric was a “conciliatory gesture” by China, and a meeting this week between Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval may provide a chance to de-escalate the border tension.
The Point with Liu Xin is a 30-minute current affairs program on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 9:30 p.m. BJT (1330GMT), with rebroadcasts at 5:30 a.m. (2130GMT) and 10:30 a.m. (0230GMT).