Doka La border standoff: CPM welcomes end of tensions, urges Centre to strengthen ties with China

New Delhi: The CPM on Monday welcomed India and China agreeing to “expeditious disengagement” of border personnel at Doka La and urged the Centre to concentrate on strengthening good neighbourly ties with Beijing. “We welcome the disengagement at Doka La, ending current tensions. We call upon the government to concentrate on strengthening good neighbourly ties,” CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Twitter. [caption id=“attachment_3969911” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The government on Monday said that India and China have agreed to “expeditious disengagement” of border personnel at Doka La, a statement that comes a week before the BRICS Summit in China that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend. In a major diplomatic breakthrough, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two countries had maintained “diplomatic communication” and were able to express their views, concerns and interests. Troops of the two countries have been locked in a standoff in Doka La near Sikkim since June after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area. “In recent weeks, India and China have maintained diplomatic communication in respect of the incident at Doka La. During these communications, we were able to express our views and convey our concerns and interests. On this basis, expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site in Doka La has been agreed to and is on-going,” the MEA statement said. Hua, the Chinese spokesperson, said Indian soldiers and equipment had been pulled back to the Indian side of the border. The Chinese side, she added, continues to patrol the Doka La area. “The Chinese side continues to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity according to the historical convention,” she said.