'All countries are supporting India', says Sushma Swaraj on Sikkim standoff with China

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday that all countries are backing India in its standoff with China regarding the dispute at Sikkim border which began more than a month ago. She claimed that China intends to unilaterally change the status of the tri-junction with Bhutan, which in turn poses a challenge to India’s security.

Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour, she informed the Rajya Sabha that there was a written agreement between India, China and Bhutan in 2012 that the three nations will together decide on the boundaries at the tri-junction point.

The Minister said the boundaries between India and China are yet to be finalised and the two nations will do that bilaterally through discussions, while the same between China and Bhutan too will be done through bilateral talks.

She also accused China of building roads using bulldozers and excavators, which has been protested by Bhutan in writing to China. The Minister also said that India was not “unreasonable” on the issue and all nations were with it. “India’s position is not wrong on the tri-junction and all nations are with it.

The law is with our country,” she said. Swaraj said all countries are supporting us and they understand that the stand taken by India on the issue is not wrong.

She said the matter can be resolved through talks and “We are willing to talk, but both sides have to first take back their armies.” She said the moment India got to know that the OBOR (One border, one road), was part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), India objected to the move immediately.