New Delhi: The countdown to a clash between the Indian and Chinese forces has begun, warned a China Daily editorial on Wednesday. With the Doklam standoff entering into seventh week, the editorial said “the window for a peaceful solution is closing" for India and “New Delhi should come to its senses while it has time." Meanwhile, a Chinese defence ministry official yesterday questioned how India would feel if Chinese soldiers entered Uttarakhand or Kashmir.

India’s only way to avoid conflict is to withdraw its troops from the Doklam region, which is a Chinese territory, says the editorial.

Terming the current situation in Doklam as different from the previous standoffs, it further warned that India should not “harbor any illusions and underestimate the resolve of the People’s Liberation Army to defend China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The editorial says New Delhi’s actions have “sabotaged long-standing agreements and understandings the two sides have worked hard to build over the years.

Also read | Doklam may bring Bhutan closer to India

The editorial also says that “New Delhi is challenging China’s sovereignty" because of “its own sense of inferiority and insecurity in the face of China’s rapid rise to prominence in the region."

China will not “back away from a fight because of its desire for a peaceful neighbourhood", the editorial says, but it won

It advises India that “a violent clash is still avoidable, even at this late stage," provided India withdraws its troops “while the clock is still ticking" or face “consequences it regrets."

Meanwhile, defence minister Arun Jaitley told the Parliament that the armed forces are strong enough to meet any challenge to the country’s security. He also said that “lessons have been learnt from the 1962 war with China."

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