Sikkim standoff: China cancels Indian journalists' trip to Tibet

Beijing: Amid rising tensions over their border row, China has cancelled the upcoming visit by a group of Indian journalists to Tibet. China has been organising annual trips for journalists from Nepal and India for quite some time. “I looked forward to visiting Tibet. But two days ago I was told by the Chinese embassy that the trip has been cancelled,” Vijay Naik, Convenor of the Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents, told IANS. [caption id=“attachment_3768775” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A signboard is seen from the Indian side of the Indo-China border. Reuters[/caption] “Perhaps, it is because of the recent tension. They would have thought let things cool down first,” Naik added. The duration of the trip was from 8 to 15 July. Like Naik, journalists from other India media houses were invited. It was not known if the trip for journalists from Nepal was on. Last year, Indian and Nepali journalists were taken to the Tibetan capital Lhasa, Chengdu in Sichuan and other places besides Beijing. Tension has risen between India and China over the current standoff between their armies in Doklam (Donglong) in the Sikkim sector. The region at the tri-junction of Bhutan, China, and India is a disputed territory between Thimpu and Beijing. India troops reportedly stopped the Chinese from building a road in the area since its ownership is yet to be decided. China calls the area its own, a claim which Bhutan contests.