The simultaneous announcement by India and China of “withdrawal” from the Doklam plateau allows both sides to “save face” ahead of the BRICS summit.
It was not a coincidence that the 71 day-old Doklam standoff ended just before the start of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Xiamen, China, in the first week of September. It would have been difficult for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be present at the summit if the dispute, the most serious between the two countries in the last three decades, had remained unresolved. For the Chinese leadership, a BRICS summit without Indian representation at the highest level would have been viewed as a serious diplomatic setback. Therefore, the simultaneous announcement by the two sides of “withdrawal” from the Doklam plateau was timed and planned in such a way that it allowed both sides to “save face”.
The External Affairs Ministry issued a statement without going into any specifics. It said: “[F]ollowing diplomatic communications, expeditious disengagement of border personnel of India and China at the faceoff site in Doklam has taken place.” It was a quick withdrawal by the few Indian Army personnel who were still stationed there. The Chinese side had reported that the Indian Army presence was gradually dwindling as the crisis was dragging on. India had started preparing the ground for a withdrawal. The statement by the External Affairs Ministry made no claims of the withdrawal of Chinese forces from Doklam. China has been insisting that there is no confusion or doubt about its sovereignty over Doklam. The Chinese side has only indicated that it is stopping road construction owing to the onset of inclement weather. From September to April, the entire area is covered in snow. Road construction activities take place only during the summer months.
This story is from the October 13, 2017 edition of FRONTLINE.
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This story is from the October 13, 2017 edition of FRONTLINE.
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