Sikkim standoff: China issues safety advisory for citizens travelling to India as border conflict intensifies

Amid the growing border tensions over Sikkim standoff, China on Saturday issued a safety advisory for its citizens travelling to India. However, it was not a travel alert but China has asked Chinese travellers to be more careful while visiting India.

“It is not a travel alert. It is an advisory asking Chinese travellers to be careful,” PTI quoted an official of the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying.

The advisory issued by Chinese Embassy in New Delhi in the Chinese language was dated on Saturday.

It asked Chinese travellers to pay close attention to the local security situation, improve self-protection awareness, strengthen security, reduce unnecessary travel, pay attention to personal and property safety as well as to provide advance information to family and friends.

Earlier this week, the Beijing had issued a statement saying "the Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety and lawful rights of Chinese citizens" and any travel alert would be issued depending on the security situation.

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China and India have been engaged in the standoff in the Doklam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army’s construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

(With PTI Inputs)