Construction by China at Doklam may have 'serious security implications': MEA

Bhutan said it has also issued a demarche to China over the construction of the road and asked Beijing to restore the "status quo".

With Bhutan strongly objecting to the road construction work by China in Doklam region, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that India has taken a positive step to settle boundary issues with Beijing and warned of 'serious security implications' if it goes ahead with the construction.

Bhutan on Thursday accused China of directly violating an agreement between the two countries by constructing a road inside its territory. In a strongly worded statement, Bhutan asked China to stop constructing the motorable road from Dokola in Doklam area towards the Bhutan Army camp at Zompelri, which it says affects the process of demarcating the boundary between the two countries.

"We have conveyed Chinese Government that such construction will represent significant change of status quo with serious security implications...India has consistently taken positive approach to settlement of its own boundary with China, along with associated issue of tri-junctions," the MEA said in a statement.

"On June 16, PLA construction party entered Doklam to construct road. Its our understanding that Bhutan Army patrol tried to dissuade them," it said.

Bhutan said it has also issued a demarche to China over the construction of the road and asked Beijing to restore the "status quo" by stopping the work immediately.

China brushed aside Bhutan's protest against Beijing building a road towards a Bhutanese Army camp in Zomplri area of Doklam or Donglong, calling the construction just and lawful in Chinese territory".

"Donglong has been Chinese territory since ancient time. This is an indisputable territory and we have adequate legal basis concerning this," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang earlier said.

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