Beijing should support Sikkim's independence says Chinese daily

"In essence, China's territorial sovereignty has been undermined by the Indian border troops", the Chinese official said, repeating the accusations levelled by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing.

It was expected that PM Modi and President Xi Jinping will hold an informal meeting along the sidelined G-20 summit in Hamburg on 6 July.

Releasing a list of leaders that Modi will be meeting, MEA official spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, "There is no change in the Prime Minister's schedule".

Apart from G20 Summit, PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will also attend the BRICS summit, but it is quite unlikely that the two Asiatic powers will bring up the bilateral issue on an global platform.

The editorial has said that Beijing should make India pay for its provocations.

Pakistan's The Tribune, on the other hand, offered up a quick history lesson: "The territory where the road work is being carried out is a part of Chinese territory - and the treaty signed by China and Britain in 1890 does recognise that fact".

But Bhutan has no diplomatic ties with China and is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.

Tensions escalated after New Delhi opposed a road construction by Beijing along the border that belongs to Bhutan, but claimed by China.

An editorial in the Global Times, run by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, said that supporting Sikkim's independence would 'be a powerful card to deal with New Delhi'.

China on Wednesday claimed that it has a "basic consensus" with Bhutan on the boundary and there is no dispute between two countries in the Doklam area, the centre of the current Sino-India military standoff. The move demonstrates India's interest in building bridges with its Southeast Asian neighbours, a policy which will likely anger China, who disapproves of India's growing involvement in the region. "The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers." the editorial continued.

In June, Chinese troops began building roads in the disputed area. But since India has a military presence in Bhutan it finds itself in the eye of the storm.

The comments came after China said there will be no meeting at Hamburg between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Indian leader in the wake of a stand-off between the troops of both sides in Doklam area in the Sikkim sector.

Bhutan, one of the world's smallest countries, has said the construction of a road on its territory is "a direct violation" of agreements with China.

"The broader political context is that it's not about Bhutan, it's not about that territory - it's about China and India's rivalry for power and influence", regional expert Dr Mohan Mailk told the ABC.