Draw lessons from border stand-off, Chinese military warns India

BEIJING: A day after both India and China pulled back their troops, ending a nearly 70-day-long dispute on the remote Doklam Plateau, China's army has warned India to "draw lessons from the stand-off," said a statement from Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China.

"We remind India to draw lessons from the stand-off, 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," said PLA Colonel Wu Qian on Tuesday.

The spokesman for the national defence ministry added that the Chinese military will remain vigilant and firmly defend its national territory and sovereignty following the military stand-off between China and India. 

Qian also said that peace and stability along the border concern regional peace and accords with the common interests of the two peoples.

China also said that its troops would continue to patrol the disputed Himalayan border area after resolving a months-long military stand-off there with India.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying refused to disclose future plans for the road project that had triggered the confrontation on the remote Doklam plateau.

"I've said that Chinese border troops will continue to be stationed and patrol in Doklam and we will continue to exercise our sovereignty according to historical conventions," Hua told a regular press briefing.

When asked whether China would halt road-building, Hua told reporters: "We'll take into consideration all relevant factors, including weather, to make any infrastructure plans - including road-building."

The Indian government announced on Monday that Beijing and New Delhi had agreed to pull back back their border forces.

The standoff began in mid-June after Chinese troops started building a road in the area, which is disputed between China and India´s ally, Bhutan.

India itself does not claim the territory but has a military presence in Bhutan.

The border tensions eased days before India´s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to China for a summit of the BRICS group of countries, which also include Brazil, Russia and South Africa.