Sikkim standoff: China says its restraint has ‘bottom line’

Beijing, August 4 : China has said that it has shown “utmost goodwill” over the prolonged military standoff with India in the Sikkim sector but warned that its “restraint” has a “bottom line”. The reaction from the Chinese defence ministry on Thursday night came a day after the Indian External Affairs Ministry in a statement said that the peace and tranquillity of the India-China boundary constituted the important prerequisite for the smooth development of bilateral relations. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last month made clear India’s position on the over-a-month-long standoff in the Doklam area, saying both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution. The standoff began on June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the trijunction with Bhutan, which India says was a unilateral action by Beijing to change the status quo in the area.New Delhi fears the construction of the road would allow China to cut off India’s access to its northeastern states.