Doklam issue: Diplomacy to defuse India, China border row slams into a wall

China warned New Delhi not to be drawn into a Western military alliance led by US, including Japan

India's diplomatic efforts to end a seven-week military standoff with China have hit a roadblock, people briefed on the talks said, prompting Chinese state-run media to trumpet rhetoric of "unavoidable countermeasures" on the unmarked border.

China has insisted that India unilaterally withdraw its troops from the remote Doklam plateau claimed by both Beijing and Indian ally Bhutan.

But China did not respond to India's suggestion in the talks that it move its troops back 250 metres (820 ft) in return, said one source with close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

In the low-key diplomatic manoeuvres that took place outside the public