PUBLISHED ONJune 27, 2017 5:57 AM
SHANGHAI - China has accused Indian border guards of crossing into its territory from the state of Sikkim on India's north-eastern border with Tibet, state news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday (June 27).
Geng Shuang, a spokesman with China's foreign ministry, said Indian guards "obstructed normal activities" by Chinese forces on the border and called on India to withdraw immediately, Xinhua said.
He urged India to respect China's territorial integrity and the border treaties signed by the two countries, and said China had already suspended official pilgrimages at the Nathu La Pass, which lies on the frontier between Sikkim state and Tibet.
Nathu La connects India to Hindu and Buddhist sites in the region and was the site of a fierce border clash between Chinese and Indian troops in 1967.
Relations between China and India have long been frosty as a result of long-term territorial disputes, as well as Beijing's support of Pakistan.
Indian leaders declined to attend China's "Belt and Road" summit aimed at boosting regional economic and political ties last month.