'A third country's army' can enter Kashmir: Chinese media

China and India have been engaged in a standoff for the past few weeks

A “third country’s” army could enter Kashmir if Pakistan requests, using the “same logic” Indian army used to stop the Chinese military from constructing a road in the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector on behalf of Bhutan, an analyst has said.

"Even if India were requested to defend Bhutan's territory, this could only be limited to its established territory, not the disputed area," Long Xingchun, Director at the Centre for Indian Studies at China West Normal University, said in the article he wrote in the Global Times.

"Otherwise, according to India's logic, if the Pakistani government requests, a third country's army can enter the area disputed by India and Pakistan," the article said.



For the past three weeks, China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Doklam area after a Chinese army’s construction party attempted to build a road there. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan labels ‘Doklam’, while China claims it as a part of its Donglang region.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

"For a long time, India has been talking about international equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of others, but it has pursued hegemonic diplomacy in South Asia, seriously violating the UN Charter and undermining the basic norms of international relations," the author said. "Through mass immigration to Sikkim, ultimately leading to control of the Sikkim parliament, India annexed Sikkim as one of its states."

"This incursion reflects that India fears China can quickly separate mainland India from northeast India through military means, dividing India into two pieces," it said. "In this case, northeast India might take the opportunity to become independent.

India has interpreted China's infrastructure construction in Tibet as having a geopolitical intention against India. India itself is unable to do the same for its northeastern part, so it is trying to stop China's road construction," it said.



It added: "India's incursion, based on its own strategic judgment, is a clear violation of international law," the article said, stating that Westerm countries will not unconditionally support India as they have a wide range of “common interests with China”.

The author urged that the territorial dispute between China and Bhutan should be resolved by both sides and India must respect Bhutan's sovereignty.

"China can show the region and the international community or even the UN Security Council its evidence to illustrate China's position. It highlights China's sincerity and effort to maintain peace as a responsible big power. It will never resort to force till it is the last choice," it said.