There is still no scope for a compromise in the military standoff with India in the China-India boundary at the Sikkim section, said China's ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui on Tuesday during his interview with the Press Trust of India (PTI), adding that the "the ball is in India's court" in resolving tensions.

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Donglang area for the past 19 days after a Chinese army's construction party came to build a road. 

Luo expressed his worries about the present situation, adding the current standoff was of a different nature from the previous friction between the two countries.

“The situation is grave and has deeply worried me," said Luo. "It is the first time Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognized boundary and trespassed into China’s territory, triggering a close range face off between Chinese and Indian border troops. Now 19 days have passed, but the situation still has not eased.” 

Luo pointed out the Donglang area undoubtedly belongs to China, according to the Anglo-Chinese convention of 1890. Since India's independence, this treaty has already been confirmed several times in writing. 

India's recent movements, which were against border treaties signed by the two countries, damage bilateral border management and control, leaving further hidden trouble.

Luo defended China's movements in the Donglang area as within China's own sovereignty, after India criticised the construction as a "significant change of status quo" and having "serious implications for India". 

He added that India's intervention into Chinese boundary changed the status, and said if India pulled back its troops, the situation would be repaired.

“As for the so called ‘security concerns’ of the Indian side, India has crossed a delimited boundary into other country’s territory in the name of security concerns, no matter what kind of activities it conducts there, which will not be acceptable to any sovereign state… India cannot encroach upon the territory of other countries on the ground of its ‘security concerns’. Otherwise, the world would be in chaos,” he added.

In terms of how to resolve the standoff, Luo emphasized that Chinese government clearly wants peaceful resolution but withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a "pre-condition".

“The first priority is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India”, he asserted.

According to Luo,  "the ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the stand-off.

Luo continued to hold positive attitudes towards future bilateral relations. He hoped India could put the concept of "China and India are two bodies, one spirit" proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi into real practice and pointed out the methods to resolve the current standoff would reflect India's faith towards China.