China cancels Modi-Jinping meet over 'Sikkim'

There will be no bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Hamburg as Beijing has said that "the atmosphere is not right" for a formal or bilateral meeting between both the leaders

The statement comes amid a lengthy standoff between the armies of the two countries on Line of Actual control adjoining Sikkim on India's eastern border.

"The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi," Chinese Foreign Ministry official said ahead of the G-20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg starting from Friday.

New Delhi has expressed its serious apprehensions over Beijing constructing a road in the Sikkim sector of the LAC. The two leaders had met last month at the SCO Summit in Astana.

India claims Sikkim border as part of its territory, China has said that the area falls on their side as per the 1890 treaty signed between British and China.

Consequently, China suspended the annual Kailash Manasarovar yatra and conceded that the decision to suspend the pilgrimage was due to the border scuffle.

It also alleged that the Indian troops had crossed the Sikkim sector of the Indo-China border. Beijing has accused New Delhi of violating a convention signed in 1890 between Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet.

-ANI