BEIJING (AP) – China’s military said on Friday that four of its soldiers were killed in a high-mountain clash on the border with Indian forces last year, the first time Beijing has publicly admitted that its side suffered casualties in the incident. deadliest among Asian giants in nearly 45 years.
The announcement, coming more than six months after the bloody hand-to-hand fight, is expected to help the global public “understand the truth and the right and wrong of the incident,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying. .
However, the delay also seemed to reflect China’s deep culture of military secrecy, as well as concerns about the possible domestic and international consequences of bloodshed.
Immediately after the June 2020 clash atop a high ridge in the Galwan Valley of the Ladakh region, India announced that it had lost 20 of its soldiers in a battle that saw fists, clubs, stones and other improvised weapons used to prevent a shootout.
China is believed to have also suffered casualties, but has not provided details, saying it does not want to further inflame tensions.
The announcement that he would lose soldiers came as the two sides concluded a gradual withdrawal from one of their original positions after several rounds of negotiations.
Indian and Chinese troops withdrew from the southern and northern shores of Lake Pangong, said an Indian army official on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to reporters. The removal had started on February 10.
Commander-level talks are scheduled for Saturday to discuss withdrawal from other areas, the official said.
The Chinese announcement came in the military newspaper, the People’s Liberation Army Daily, which said the four dead were named state martyrs.
The title of “hero defending the border” was awarded to battalion commander Chen Hongjun, while Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran received first-class merit awards. He attributed their deaths to “a conflict with invading foreign military personnel”, not to mention India directly.
Qi Fabao, a regiment commander who was wounded in the confrontation, received the title of “hero regiment commander for defending the border”.
A brief video of the two soldiers clashing last June was shown on Friday night by the dedicated military channel of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, including a daytime confrontation on a river with sticks and shields and another at night. Qi was shown among the soldiers shouting and gesturing, with a narration saying that he insisted that things be dealt with according to agreed procedures. Chinese troops wore helmets and body armor of the type used by riot police and at least one Chinese soldier was later shown being treated in the field for a bloody head wound.
Accompanied by dramatic orchestral music and skillful production values, photos of the four dead soldiers were shown overlaid against a background of snow-capped peaks. At the end of the segment, the troops were again shown patrolling and exercising on foot and in tanks, although the exact times and locations were not clear.
In the first few days after the confrontation, unconfirmed reports in the Indian media point to the number of Chinese killed at up to 45. More recently, an Indian security official said on Friday that the military estimates that at least 14 Chinese soldiers have been injured, eight of whom later died.
This assessment was based on the number of stretchers used to remove the wounded, information collected from an advanced Chinese hospital and field reports. Another security officer offered a similar account, saying that at least 12 Chinese soldiers were seriously injured in the incident.
Both spoke on condition of anonymity, according to government regulations.
Hua, the Chinese spokesman, said that “the Indian side has repeatedly exaggerated and exaggerated casualties, distorting the truth and misleading international public opinion. The PLA Daily has now published a report on the incident to reveal the truth. “
The tense standoff in the Karakoram Mountains began in early May, when Indian and Chinese soldiers ignored each other’s repeated verbal warnings, triggering a screaming dispute, rock throwing and fighting on the northern shore of Lake Pangong.
In June, friction spread to the north, to Depsang and the Galwan valley, where India built a military all-weather road along the disputed border. Both countries stationed tens of thousands of soldiers supported by artillery, tanks and fighters along the border in fact called the Royal Line of Control, or LAC, with troops preparing for the harsh winter.
Troops withdrew from the Galwan valley shortly after the June clashes and have now done so on Lake Pangong. They remain at an impasse in Depsang and in at least two other places, Gogra and Hot Springs.
Lt. Gen. YK Joshi, who commands the Northern Indian Army Command, told Indian station News18 that China seemed reluctant to make concessions until Indian forces occupied the high command. on 29-30 August.
“This disconnection is happening because we had assumed a dominant position in the Kailash mountain range. So, now that the goal has been achieved, let’s go back to the status quo before April 2020, ”said Joshi to the station.
Each side accused the other of instigating the violence, which dramatically changed the India-China relationship.
The responsibility “is not with China,” said Hua, adding that China “exercised great moderation, reflecting China’s tolerance and commitment as a responsible power”.
The two sides fought a border war in 1962, which reached Ladakh and ended in an uncomfortable truce. Since then, troops have protected the indefinite border while occasionally fighting. The two countries agreed not to attack with firearms.
The fiercely contested line of real control extends from Ladakh in the west to the state of Arunachal Pradesh in eastern India, which China claims in its entirety. It is broken in parts where the Himalayan nations, Nepal and Bhutan, lie between India and China.
According to India, the border is actually 3,488 kilometers (2,167 miles) long, while China says it is considerably shorter. As its name suggests, LAC divides areas of physical control instead of territorial claims.
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Hussain reported from Srinagar, India. Associated Press editor Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.