BEIJING, Aug 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 late last night came a day after the Indian External Affairs Ministry in a statement said that the peace and tranquillity of the India-China boundary constitutes 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 tri-junction 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.
Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson of the Chinese defence ministry, in a statement called on the Indian side to swiftly address the situation in a proper manner to restore peace and tranquillity in the border region.
�Since the incident occurred, China has shown utmost goodwill and sought to communicate with India through diplomatic channels to resolve the incident. Chinese armed forces have also shown a high level of restraint with an eye to the general bilateral relations and the regional peace and stability,� Ren said, according to report in the state-run Xinhua news agency.
�However, goodwill has its principles and restraint has its bottom line,� Ren added.
The spokesperson urged the Indian side to give up the �illusion of its delaying tactic, as no country should underestimate the Chinese forces� confidence and capability to safeguard peace and their resolve and willpower to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests�. � PTI
