China will not pull back from Doklam: PLA expert

China will not withdraw troops from Doklam because if Chinese troops pull back now it will "embolden" New Delhi to make trouble in future, a Chinese military expert has said.

You Dongxiaom, an associate professor at the International College of Defense at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army, said Indian strategists and policymakers were mistaken if they thought China will back down sooner or later.

You said the solution to the dragging crisis was "unconditional and immediate withdrawal of Indian troops from the region".

Writing in China's official news agency Xinhua, You said Beijing will not withdraw troops from Doklam because the region belonged to China and the treaty of 1890 between Britain and China was a testimony to it.

"If China backs down now, India may be emboldened to make more trouble in the future. Beijing and New Delhi still have a number of differences over undefined sections of frontier, but Doklam is not one of them," You said.

Indian says it is ready to withdraw troops provided China pulls back, too.

"Some Indian strategists and policymakers may be laboring under the misapprehension that China will back down sooner or later, citing resistance from vested interests in China's ongoing reform; that reform of the People's Liberation Army remains unfinished; and that India could play a key role in the United States' China containment strategy."

Doklam is a disputed region between China and Bhutan. India and Bhutan call it Bhutanese territory. India halted a road construction by Chinese soldiers in Doklam in mid-June, citing the pending ownership of the region.

"It is simply illegal for India to send military personnel into Chinese territory, even under the pretext of 'security concerns' or 'protection' of Bhutan. This is not a grey area. India has not provided any legal basis at all for its action."

"India contends that the building of some roads represents a significant change of the status quo with serious security implications and, in coordination with Bhutan, the Indian military attempted to stop the work in progress.

"India attempts to justify its action in the name of protecting Bhutan, arguing that Doklam is Bhutanese territory, but even if that were the case, how does that entitle India to send troops there?"

"Doklam is of huge strategic significance to India, due to its proximity to the Siliguri Corridor -- India's sensitive "chicken's neck" -- connecting seven northeastern states with the rest of the country."

India's own security concerns cannot possibly warrant a military occupation of a neighboring country. If they did, then any country could send its military forces unbidden into any neighboring country over purely internal security concerns.

"Finally, the border line is the bottom line. China has relentlessly stated that it will never allow any people, organization or political party to split any part of Chinese territory away from the country at any time, in any form. China's position on such matters is crystal clear and unwavering."

"China has absolutely no reason or desire to enter into a war with its neighbor. After all, a peaceful and stable environment is crucial for China's economic growth and current reform drive, but it is ridiculous to conclude that China will allow its sovereignty and territorial integrity to be compromised.

"China will never back down in the face of foreign military pressure and will defend its native soil at all costs."

--IANS

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