She provided no evidence for the claim, which is at the complete variance with Bhutan's stated position.

China reiterated that no meaningful dialogue can be held with India until it "unconditionally" withdraws troops from the disputed Doklam area and said Foreign Minister Wang Yi has authoritatively made Beijing's position clear on the issue.

A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, on Monday turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese Army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doklam near Sikkim.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay, however, refused to comment whether there was reduction of Indian troops at the tri-junction between India-China-Bhuta.

Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson of the Chinese defence ministry, in a statement said, "Chinese armed forces have also shown a high level of restraint with an eye to the general bilateral relations and the regional peace and stability."

The Foreign Ministry also posted a 15-page fact sheet with maps and other details about the standoff since it began on June 16.

A group of shepherds were asked to vacate the land by troops of the PLA.

'Jin Jiang had invested in Louvre Hotels.' 'Louvre, a couple of months ago, took a majority in Sarovar hotels.' 'So they are coming in now.' 'Look at the Chinese -- two quarters ago they took 25 percent in Hilton.' And then HNA also took majority in Carlson (Radisson).'

Amid the Sikkim standoff, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday held talks with his Chinese Counterpart and State Councillor Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the BRICS NSAs meeting.

'India is a huge market for Chinese goods. I don't think a war stands to logic when you have economic compulsions, but then Chinese are known to do illogical things.'

'India's military posture has become significantly stronger than China's on the 3,500-kilometre Line of Actual Control.' 'This is enhancing confrontation between the two sides,' points out Ajai Shukla.

In all the noise surrounding the Dok La confrontation, Claude Arpi focuses on a crucial issue that has hardly been covered -- the construction of roads for the armed forces and the local population to reach the most remote border posts.

The stakes are high and it is not certain that slow-moving foreign office bureaucracies can measure up to the challenges being thrown up, says Hardeep S Puri.

Even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian territory, Wang said.

NSA Doval is set to travel to Beijing this week to attend the BRICS NSAs meeting scheduled to be held from July 27-28

We strongly urge India to take practical steps to correct its mistake, Wu said.

Banerjee said the TMC would file a defamation case against the CBI and other central agencies for 'harassing and defaming' its leaders.

'Little did those in India's strategic community realise that any wise adversary in China's place and circumstances would only take the land route to disturb and trouble India.' 'It is along the land border that all of India's post-Cold War allies would be of little or no political and diplomatic, and least of all, military help,' says N Sathiya Moorthy.

New Delhi has been in 'close contact' with the Bhutan government on the unfolding developments.

Sushma said the issue is due to the "tri-junction point that is between India, China and Bhutan" and that if Beijing unilaterally tries to change the status quo at the tri-junction, then it will pose a threat to New Delhi's security.

The sources said the exercise was a routine military drill by China.

"China is our enemy, not Pakistan. Pakistan can do us no damage," he said.

The move took place late last month and involved hardware being moved simultaneously by road and rail from across the entire region.

Suddenly the sands are shifting and even friends are acting strange.

Jaishankar maintained that New Delhi is engaged with Beijing in defusing tension through diplomatic channels.

The article in the Global Times said that if India "stirs up conflicts in several spots, it must face the consequence of an all-out confrontation with China along the entire LAC."

'When sensitive territory goes into the hands of your enemy. he becomes more powerful in military terms.' 'Assuming the Chinese take over the Doklam Plateau they will not stop at that.' 'They will keep ingressing, and it will be easier for them to further expand their territory.' 'I feel the Chinese will vacate that area in two months after it begins to snow.'

The brigade that conducted the drills was from the PLA's Tibet Military Command and is one of China's two plateau mountain brigades.

The briefing comes ahead of the parliament session beginning Monday.

'The border standoff, if not properly addressed by both sides, could escalate to a conventional or sub-conventional conflict between India and China,' predicts Srikanth Kondapalli, one of India's leading China experts.

'This is potentially escalatory, as China does not believe that India has any basis for interfering in a bilateral dispute between China and one of its neighbours.'

Ahead of the Parliament session, beginning Monday, the government is apparently aiming to build a consensus to deal with its biggest neighbour as well on Kashmir issue.

He said the 2 countries have handled border issues in the past.

'Does the Indian army's new assertiveness risk a clash escalating into shooting and possibly skirmishes?' asks Ajai Shukla.

Earlier in the day, the Chinese embassy in Delhi first posted and later removed a statement on its website saying that the two met after the Congress denied it as "fake news".

This is the first time Pakistan and Kashmir have been brought into the narrative.

A steady line of supplies is being maintained for the soldiers at the site, official sources said.

"We have tweeted that the two leaders discussed a range of issues. A range of issues means a range of issues. I don't want to add anything further... I leave it to you to draw your conclusion," external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

The advisory asked to pay close attention to the security situation and take necessary precautions.

'Breaking out of the corner into which China has painted itself would be a feat.' 'Whether Xi is able to pull it off will be known in the coming days,' says B S Raghavan, the distinguished civil servant and member of the Joint Intelligence Committee at the time of China's invasion of India.