China on July 5, 2017 accused India of “misleading the public” by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the “Chicken’s Neck” in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India’s access to the northeastern States. (“Chicken’s Neck” refers to the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow strip of land, which has several vital installations around it and links the Northeast with the rest of India).
“In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention , the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters in Beijing.
“The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000m away from Mount Gipmochi,” Mr. Geng asserted.
He claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan. “The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point,” Mr. Geng said defending China’s road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.
India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India’s access to its northeastern States.
