Doklam standoff: Former envoy to China calls for 'fast de-escalation of situation'

He also said that China's stand that there would not be any talks unless India withdraws its troops was unjust.

Amid growing tension between New Delhi and Beijing over standoff at Doklam near Sikkim, former Indian ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha has called for 'fast de-escalation of the situation'.

The former envoy said that China should avoid heated rhetoric, adding that any kind of escalation on the ground should be avoided.

"Second requirement is to enter into meaningful dialogue to resolve this issue this involves China trying to change the status quo which has implications not only for Bhutan but also for India," told news agency ANI.

He also said that China's stand that there would not be any talks unless India withdraws its troops was unjust, calling it a "very unreasonable position to take".

On Thursday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that Beijing unilaterally tried to change the status quo at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will be travelling to Beijing on July 27-28 to attend a BRICS meeting. A lot rides on this visit as he is expected to open up the diplomatic channels for the first time since the standoff.

The standoff between Indian and Chinese armies has continued for close to five-weeks over the construction of a road by China at Doklam near Sikkim. It is an area where the borders of India, China and Bhutan meet. Bhutan says the land, which it calls Doklam, belongs to its kingdom and not to China, a claim that India agrees too.

OneIndia News