China violates border again, this time in Uttarakhand's Barahoti

NEW DELHI: Two days before National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Beijing , Chinese soldiers transgressed into Uttarakhand 's Barahoti and came into as much as one kilometre of Indian territory, reported Times Now on Monday.This is the second transgression, coming a little over a month after the June 16 incursion by Chinese troops in Doklam in the Sikkim sector of the India-China border. They violated the border and began construction on a road in the area.The incursion into Uttarakhand occurred on July 25 at about 9 am. Chinese soldiers transgressed into between 800 metres to 1 kilometer of Indian territory, sources told ANI.Last year, also in July, two soldiers from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered 200 metres into the Barholi area of Uttarakhand. At the time, then defence minister Manohar Parrikar said the border has not been demarcated and the two sides have a "different perception" about it.Therefore, India called the incident one of "transgression" and not " incursion.Still, this latest report of a transgression doesn't bode well for Sino-Indian relations, coming so close on the heels of Doklam. And National security advisor Doval's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping did not yield any breakthrough that could end the current standoff.Relations between New Delhi and Beijing are fraught. China has refused to acknowledge it violated the border. It claims that Indian border troops crossed the boundary line in the Sikkim sector of the China-India boundary. Its intransigence has extended to Beijing insisting on Indian troops withdrawing before the possibility of any talks with New Delhi.On its part, India has been unyielding in insisting that China is the aggressor. It points to a clear 2012 understanding that China has violated. On June 30, India told China that its attempt to construct a road in the Doklam area in Bhutan will cause a "significant change of status quo", is a "violation of a 2012 understanding", and will lead to "serious security implications.""On 16 June, a PLA (People's Liberation Army) construction party entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road. It is our understanding that a Royal Bhutan Army patrol attempted to dissuade them from this unilateral activity," said India on June 30.Doval met Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials last Friday at the summit of Brics national security advisors in the Chinese capital. It was clear that both India and China want to keep the discussion on the Doklam stand-off restricted to the bilateral area instead of making it an issue requiring the attention of Brics.A Chinese analyst told TOI last week, there is little possibility of Xi going back on the demand that Indian troops must withdraw ahead of the celebrations of the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army on August 1."At best, the high level of belligerence can be allowed to taper off, giving leaders enough time to find a solution. But even this is not easy because there are hawkish voices on both sides," the Chinese analyst added, requesting anonymity.