Some 2500 years of diplomatic heritage and finesse was distilled down to an artful resolution to defuse the Doklam stand-off in a way that allowed both China and India to claim victory. The resolution – for now – has allowed hypernationalist constituencies in both countries to be mollified.
There was no joint statement that would have explicitly shown whether the two sides were on the same page – or not. Instead, New Delhi said in a brief cryptic statement that ”expeditious disengagement” of border personal at Doklam has been agreed to and is on-going.
Implicit in the statement was that both sides had agreed to the disengagement.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not issue a statement but confirmed that there was an agreement in its daily briefing, while insisting repeatedly that only the Indian side had withdrawn. The spokesperson also added that the Chinese troops would continue to patrol the disputed area (which she insisted was sovereign Chinese territory) – a sop to China’s domestic constituency that its expedition was not in vain.
But a closer reading, with helpful hints from New Delhi, shows the agreement in a different light. Chinese patrolling of the area was never an issue for India. China’s building of a road in the disputed area was, and remains.
The Chinese spokeswoman did not specifically address the road-building issue. Instead, she said, ”In light of the changes on the ground, China will accordingly make necessary adjustments and deployment.”
Make what you will of this cryptic statement. We will know the substance of it in the days to come. Without making a big to-do about it, New Delhi is suggesting China has backed off from the road-building.
In sum, India will be withdrawing its troops. China will be withdrawing its road construction equipment and crew.
No Chinese road. No Indian troops.
If this situation is confirmed on the ground, India’s objective would have been achieved – at least for now.
Thus we can say Doklam has been defused. For now.
But as the Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat has reminded us, eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. He warned even before the resolution of the Doklam spat that we should expect such incidents to occur with increasing regularity.
China will routinely press the buttons to check on Indian resolve and preparedness. It was not found wanting in Doklam. But there will be more tests on the road ahead.
How can India and China take this road ahead and reach a destination of abiding peace, trust, and tranquility?
Zhang Yimou’s The Road Home happens to be among my favorite Chinese films. It is the story of a country girl and a school teacher falling in love, and enduring long separation and hardships before they are reunited.
I won’t give away the plot (which is fairly simple) other than to say it bears no relation to the Doklam crisis. But it is the last word in grace, empathy, and the fulfillment of destiny.
Two of the oldest, most sophisticated civilisations should be able to find it.
Here’s what China’s spokeswoman said:
We have learned that on the afternoon of August 28, the Indian border troops and equipment that illegal crossed the Sikkim sector of the China-India border have all been withdrawn to the Indian side, marking an end to the trespassing incident. Do you have more information?
On June 18, the Indian border troops illegally crossed the well-delimited China-India border in the Sikkim Sector into China’s Dong Lang area. China has lodged representations with the Indian side many times through diplomatic channels, made the facts and truth of this situation known to the international community, clarified China’s solemn position and explicit demands, and urged India to immediately pull back its border troops to the India’s side.
In the meantime, the Chinese military has taken effective countermeasures to ensure the territorial sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests of the state.
At about 2:30 p.m. of August 28, the Indian side withdrew all its border personnel and equipment that were illegally on the Chinese territory to the Indian side. The Chinese personnel onsite have verified this situation. China will continue fulfilling its sovereign rights to safeguard territorial sovereignty in compliance with the stipulations of the border-related historical treaty.
The Chinese government attaches importance to developing good neighborly and friendly relations with India. We hope that India could earnestly honor the border-related historical treaty as well as the basic principles of international law and work with China to preserve peace and stability in the border area and promote the sound development of bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s territorial sovereignty.
Can you confirm that the Indian personnel have already left or they are in the process of leaving?
I am pleased to confirm that the Indian border personnel and equipment have all been withdrawn to the Indian side of the border.
The Indian government’s announcement is that there is a “mutual disengagement” of the troops between the two countries. You haven’t mentioned the pullback of the Chinese troops. You mentioned only the pullback of the Indian troops. How do you explain?
The Chinese side has made it clear that the Indian border personnel and equipment that trespassed into China’s territory have all been withdrawn to the Indian side of the border. The Chinese border troops continue with their patrols in the Dong Lang area. China will continue with its exercise of sovereign rights to protect territorial sovereignty in accordance with the stipulations of the border-related historical treaty.
The Indian side said that it is a “mutual disengagement”. Do you agree with that?
What I want to stress is that the Indian side withdrew all its border personnel and equipment that were illegally on the Chinese territory to the Indian side. The Chinese personnel onsite have verified this situation.
The Chinese border troops continue patrolling the Dong Lang area. China will continue fulfilling its sovereign rights to safeguard territorial sovereignty in compliance with the stipulations of the border-related historical treaty. In the meantime, in light of the changing landscape on the ground, China will make necessary adjustments and deployment as it sees fit.
You said that India has unilaterally pulled back from the Dong Lang area, as was asked by the Chinese side. Then you said that the Chinese side will make adjustments accordingly. Could you clarify what do you mean by that?
I have made myself very clear. In light of the changes on the ground, China will accordingly make necessary adjustments and deployment. I also stressed that the Chinese border troops will continue fulfilling the sovereignty rights to safeguard territorial sovereignty in compliance with the stipulations of the border-related historical treaty.
Do you mean that the standoff has been amicably settled between the two countries after India’s withdrawal?
The Indian side has withdrawn all its trespassing border personnel and equipment to the Indian side. The Chinese personnel onsite have verified this situation. China will continue fulfilling its sovereign rights to safeguard territorial sovereignty in compliance with the stipulations of the border-related historical treaty. In light of the changes on the ground, China will accordingly make necessary adjustments and deployment.
We believe that it serves the interests of China and India to resolve this incident peacefully via diplomatic means. It also demonstrates China’s sincerity and attitude in preserving regional peace and stability as a responsible major country.
The Chinese government values its good neighborly and friendly relations with India. We hope that India could earnestly abide by the border-related historical treaty and basic norms of international law and work with China to ensure peace and stability in the border area on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s territorial sovereignty, and to promote the healthy development of bilateral relations.
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