Sikkim border standoff: China says it is open for 'meaningful dialogue' with India

Beijing: China on Friday indicated it was open for talks with India, saying a “meaningful dialogue” over the border stand-off is the “pressing issue”. This is a climbdown for Beijing which earlier ruled out any talks until India withdrew its troops from “Chinese territory”. [caption id=“attachment_3762063” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “Diplomatic channels are unimpeded between India and China for talks on the stand-off in Sikkim,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. “The pressing issue is to have a meaningful dialogue for the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Doklam area in Sikkim sector,” Lu added. Lu again charged Indian troops with trespassing the Chinese border. India has denied the allegation. He also rejected Bhutan’s claims over Donlong, calling it Chinese territory. Recently, China had warned India it will escalate the current border row if it did not withdraw troops from Chinese territory and said this was a precondition for a meaningful dialogue to settle the boundary issue, warning that the Indian Army should learn ‘historical lessons’, in an oblique reference to the 1962 war.