'Keeping Constant Watch': India on Photos of Chinese Village in Doklam Plateau

The images of the village showed that the new settlement is fully inhabited with cars parked at nearly every home.

Three separate reports have flagged Chinese actions at the border. 

(Photo: The Quint)

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, 21 July, said that it is keeping a constant watch on developments related to national security, three days after new satellite images indicated the construction of a Chinese village near Doklam plateau.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated that the government is taking the necessary steps to safeguard the country's security.

"I do not want to get into commenting on media reports. Let me make a broader point, particularly in the context of Doklam, please be assured that the government keeps a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on India's security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard the same."

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi

The Doklam plateau – where the borders of China, India and Bhutan meet – is considered an important area for India's strategic interest.

The images of the village that emerged on Tuesday showed that the new settlement is fully inhabited with cars parked at the doorstep of virtually every home.

The Indian and Chinese armies were locked in a 73-day stand-off at the Doklam tri-junction in 2017 after China tried to extend a road in the area that Bhutan claimed belonged to it.

In October last year, Bhutan and China signed an agreement on a "three-step roadmap" to expedite negotiations to resolve their boundary dispute.

Meanwhile, India and China agreed to "work out a mutually acceptable resolution" in their latest round of talks held this week.

The 16th Round of India-China Corps Commander Talks

After a nearly 12-and-a-half-hour round of talks at the 16th round of the Corps Commander-level meeting on Sunday, 17 July, India and China failed to reach any significant resolution regarding outstanding issues.

However, the two countries agreed to continue the dialogue in order to arrive at a "mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues" along LAC at the earliest.

"Building on the progress made at the last meeting on 11th March 2022, the two sides continued discussions for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector in a constructive and forward looking manner," an official press statement said.

It further added that both the sides had a "frank and in-depth exchange of views" complying with the guidance provided by the state leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.

"The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest," the statement released after the meeting at the Chushul-Moldo border noted.