US refrains from commenting on India-China standoff at Doklam

China has been calling for immediate withdrawal of the Indian troops from the area.

Washington, Jul 11: The US on Tuesday refrained from commenting on the standoff between the armies of India and China at Doklam near Sikkim, saying that it has seen such reports.

"We have seen these reports (of India-China border skirmish). We refer you to the Governments of India and China for further information," said a spokesperson of the National Security Council, White House.

The remarks come amid a standoff between the militaries of India and China in the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector, where Indian troops stopped road construction by Chinese soldiers.

India has said it is "deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India".

China has been calling for immediate withdrawal of the Indian troops from the area.

Earlier, India's Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said that both countries must not allow differences to spiral out of control and become a dispute.

Foreign Secretary's remarks come at a time when Indian and Chinese troops have locked horns at Doklam area near India Bhutan boder near Sikkim. China claims that Indian troops have transgressed into their territory while Bhutan and India accuse China of adopting an aggressive stance in the region.

PTI