Doklam standoff: US encourages India, China to resolve issue via direct dialogue

The United States on Wednesday has called on India and China to have a direct dialogue for resolving Doklam issue.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert further said, "Just that we are encouraging both parties to sit down and have direct dialogue," when asked about the United States' stand on 'another round of skirmish and tension from India and China,' referring to the two-month long Doklam stand-off.

We are encouraging both parties to sit down and have direct dialogue: Heather Nauert, US State Dept Spox on India-China (File Pic) pic.twitter.com/tdXvvE9BhG

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2017

Earlier on Tuesday, Chinese soldiers attempted to enter Indian territory along the banks of Pangong lake in Ladakh but it was foiled by Indian guards which resulted in stone pelting that caused minor injuries to people on both sides.

Indian Army officials said that the soldiers of China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) tried to infiltrate into Indian soil in two areas — Finger 1 and Finger 2.

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Earlier on August 11 too, the U.S. had pressed for diplomatic talks between the two nations, adding that the stand-off is a situation that it has certainly followed closely.

"As you know, we have relationships with both governments. We continue to encourage both parties to have conversations," it added.
Meanwhile, China has vehemently rejected all reports of it ever offering a compromise to India by relocating its troops in the disputed Doklam border area.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry reacted to a report where China had allegedly offered to move its troops back 100 meters, after India sought the pullback of Chinese troops by 250 metres.

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