India should not turn deaf ear

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses the nation from the historic Red Fort during Independence Day celebrations in Delhi, India, August 15, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

India has repeatedly ignored China's calls for it to withdraw its troops that crossed the Sikkim section of the border and entered Chinese territory.

Turning a deaf ear to China will only worsen the situation.

The Sikkim section of the China-India border has been delimited, and both Chinese and Indian governments have repeatedly acknowledged it.

China has made it clear that there is no room for negotiations on the border and India should know its incursion will by no means be allowed to become a fait accompli.

India's illegal move in Doklam runs counter to the five principles of peaceful co-existence, which include respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. India has advocated the principles since the 1950s along with China.

In recent years, some fervently nationalist groups in India have been constantly stirring up anti-China sentiments, even clamoring for a boycott of Chinese goods claiming they are "the commodities of a hostile country".

And on the occasion of the Indian troops trespassing across the Sikkim section of the China-India bonder, some senior Indian officials have made provocative remarks, which have further fueled such nationalist fervor.

But as an old Chinese saying goes, peace is most precious. It has been noticed that Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently made positive remarks in Singapore, saying that "India and China should not let differences become disputes."

What China would like to see now are more corresponding actions by India to support those words.

China cherishes the peace and serenity in the border areas, and it has the will to solve the problem peacefully by diplomatic means, but the precondition is that India withdraw its troops back across the border. India should abide by the basic principles of international law, and stop stubbornly persisting with its trespassing.

-Xinhua News Agency