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China trying to change status quo, Doklam-like events may recur: Army chief

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 27, Aug 2017, 17:27 pm IST | UPDATED: 29, Aug 2017, 18:07 pm IST

China trying to change status quo, Doklam-like events may recur: Army chief Pune: Blaming China for the ongoing standoff at Doklam, near the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Saturday that it was a consequence of Beijing's attempt to change the "status quo."

"During flag meetings with China, we tell them that we (India and China) should go back to the pre-June 16 position at Doklam plateau. But we haven't been able to come up with a resolution as there are different perceptions about how it should be done. Hence, it should be dealt with at diplomatic and political levels," he said.

Gen Rawat was in the city to deliver the General B C Joshi Memorial Lecture, titled "India's challenges in the current geo-strategic construct" at Savitribai Phule Pune University.

"Let's say this stand-off gets resolved, but our troops on the border should not feel that it cannot happen again. Such instances are likely to increase in future... My message to the troops is to not let down the guard," he said.

Commenting on the recent scuffle between the troops of both the countries in the Ladakh region, he said both countries had a joint mechanism to resolve such issues amicably.

"The LAC has not yet been settled between the two countries, and hence each country has a different perception about it. So, at times, you have a clash as each one tries to patrol the area up to its limits. But these things are normal. Our aim is not to escalate things and get back to normalcy. We are living on the border peacefully," he told reporters on the sidelines of the lecture.

On China, Gen Rawat said, Chinese armed forces had made significant progress in capabilities regarding force mobilisation, application and sustenance of operations. He said China continues to enhance influence in the regional security environment "by increasing defence/economic partnerships in the neighbourhood, especially in Pakistan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

The CPEC passing through POK challenges India's sovereignty". He expressed concern over the increasing presence of transnational actors in Pakistan with fundamentalist ideologies.
"Pakistan's unabated reliance and support to jihadi groups has serious ramifications. This can lead to the possibility of Pakistan being a conduit for eastward spread of fundamentalist ideology," Gen Rawat added. He refused to comment on Lt Col Prasad Purohit's case, saying that the matter was still sub judice.

China yet to respond on joint military exercise: The Indian Army had recently sent an invitation to China for an Indo-China joint military exercise in October. "However, we are yet to get a response from the Chinese counterpart," Gen Rawat said.
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