BEIJING (AP) – China’s military said on Friday that four of its soldiers had been killed in a mountain border clash with Indian forces last year, the first time Beijing publicly acknowledged that its side had been killed in the deadliest incident. among the Asian giants in almost 45 years.
The announcement, which will appear more than six months after the bloody melee, should help the global public “understand the truth and the correctness and evil of the incident,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
However, the delay also seemed to reflect the deep culture of China’s military secrecy, as well as concerns about the potential domestic and international consequences of the bloodshed.
Immediately after the June 2020 collision on a high ridge in the Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region, India announced that it had lost 20 soldiers in a battle that saw fists, sticks, stones and other improvised weapons used to prevent a fire.
It is believed that China also had casualties, but did not provide any details, saying it does not want to continue to ignite tensions.
The announcement that he had lost soldiers came as the two sides concluded a gradual withdrawal from one of their initial positions following several rounds of negotiations.
Indian and Chinese troops have completed disconnection from the southern and northern shores of Lake Pangong, an Indian army officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to reporters. Retreat it had begun on February 10th.
Commander-level talks are scheduled for Saturday to discuss withdrawal from other areas, the officer said.
The Chinese announcement appeared in the army newspaper, the People’s Liberation Army Daily, which said the four killed were called state martyrs.
The title of “Border Defender Hero” was given to Battalion Commander Chen Hongjun, while Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran received first-class merit awards. He attributed the death to “a clash with foreign military personnel”, without directly mentioning India.
Qi Fabao, a regimental commander who was wounded in the clash, received the title of “hero regiment commander for border defense”.
A short video of the two soldiers who clashed in June last year was shown on Friday night by the dedicated military channel of the state broadcaster CCTV, including a day-to-day confrontation in a river with sticks and shields and another during night. Qi was presented among the soldiers shouting and gesturing, with a voice-over saying that he insisted that the issues be dealt with in accordance with the agreed procedures. Chinese troops wore helmets and body armor such as those used by riot police, and at least one Chinese soldier was later treated in the field for a bloody head wound.
Accompanied by dramatic orchestral music and slick production values, images of the four dead soldiers were then presented superimposed on 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 days after the clash, unconfirmed reports in the Indian media raised the number of Chinese dead to 45. More recently, an Indian security official said on Friday that the army estimated that at least 14 Chinese soldiers were wounded, eight of whom died. subsequent. .
This assessment was based on the number of stretchers used to remove the wounded, information gathered from a previous Chinese hospital and field reports. Another security official provided a similar account, saying at least 12 Chinese soldiers were seriously injured in the incident.
Both spoke on condition of anonymity, in accordance with government regulations.
Hua, China’s spokesman, said that “the Indian side has repeatedly exaggerated and exposed the victims, distorting the truth and misleading international public opinion. PLA Daily has now published a report on the incident to reveal the truth. ”
The tense confrontation in the Karakoram Mountains began in early May, when Indian and Chinese soldiers ignored each other’s repeated verbal warnings, triggering a shouting match, throwing stones and punching on the northern shore of Pangong Lake.
By June, friction had spread north to Depsang and the Galwan Valley, where India had built a military road at all times along the disputed border. Both countries have stationed tens of thousands of soldiers supported by artillery, tanks and fighter jets along the de facto border called the Current Control Line or LAC, with troops settling in for the harsh winter.
The troops withdrew from the Galwan Valley shortly after the June clashes and have now made it out of Lake Pangong. They remain in a confrontation in Depsang and at least two other places, Gogra and Hot Springs.
Lt. Gen. YK Joshi, who commands the Northern Command of the Indian Army, told the Indian News18 station that China seemed unwilling to make concessions until Indian forces occupied the command heights. between August 29-30.
“This disengagement is happening because we have taken the dominant position on the Kailash range. So, now the goal has been reached, we return to the status quo ante April 2020 “, Joshi told the station.
Each side accused the other of instigating violence, which dramatically changed the India-China relationship.
Responsibility “does not lie with China,” Hua said, adding that China “exercised great restraint, reflecting China’s tolerance and commitment as a responsible power.”
The two sides fought a border war in 1962, which erupted in Ladakh and ended in a restless truce. Since then, troops have guarded the undefined border while arguing occasionally. The two countries agreed not to attack each other with firearms.
The highly contested line of real control it stretches from western Ladakh to eastern Indian Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. It is torn in parts where the Himalayan nations of Nepal and Bhutan stand between India and China.
According to India, the de facto border is 3,488 kilometers (2,167 miles) long, while China says it is considerably shorter. As its name suggests, LAC divides physical control areas rather than territorial claims.
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Hussain reported from Srinagar, India. Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma of New Delhi contributed to this report.