Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday visited Nathu La area on the India-China border to interact with personnel of Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Police Force. Amid her meetings with the forces, the Defence Minister also “acknowledged a row of Chinese soldiers from across the fence”.
Nirmala Sitharaman took to Twitter to share a post showing her waving at Chinese troops, who were taking pictures of her from across the border.
“Acknowledged a row of Chinese soldiers from across the fence who were taking pictures on my reaching Nathu La,” she tweeted.
Acknowledged a row of Chinese soldiers from across the fence who were taking pictures on my reaching Nathu La. @DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/7cWImtmfLG
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) October 7, 2017
The Defence Minister’s visit to Nathu La comes amid reports of presence of PLA troops in large numbers close to Doklam, where both Indian and Chinese soldiers were till recently engaged in a faceoff.
Army officials briefed the Defence Minister on security preparedness along the Indo-China border in the Sikkim sector. Reports said that the minister had to cancel an aerial survey of Doklam and border posts due to bad weather.
She was accorded a guard of honour, following which she offered sweets to armymen.
Upon arrival Smt @nsitharaman is accorded with a Guard of Honor at Nathu-la pic.twitter.com/UdVGnAyRh1
— Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) October 7, 2017
Smt @nsitharaman offering sweets to the army personnel at Nathu-la in Sikkim pic.twitter.com/HesxshjfZw
— Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) October 7, 2017
Notably, the Indian government has maintained that the situation at the border has not changed since both the countries reached an agreement over Doklam standoff. While the Centre has rejected media reports of a ‘sizeable’ Chinese troops presence in Doklam, the neighbouring country reiterated that Doklam belongs to them. China, however, added that “there is no dispute”
Meanwhile, reports have said that China is building bunkers on a road in Doklam, just 10 km from the location of the last conflict.
Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Dokalam that began from June 16 over road construction activity at the India-Bhutan-China trijunction. The Doklam Plateau is claimed by both Beijing and Bhutan as their territory. The tension eased after talks between top officials of both the countries
