China Admits Galwan Casualties, Says Four PLA Soldiers Killed In Clashes With Indian Troops
For the first time since the deadly clashes between the Indian Army and the People Liberation Army, the Chinese side has opened up about the fatalities on its side.
"Four Chinese soldiers, who were sacrificed in last June's border conflict, were posthumously awarded honorary titles and first-class merit citations, Central Military Commission announced. A colonel, who led them and seriously injured, was conferred with honorary title," state-run People's Daily reported.
India lost 20 soldiers
Immediately after the clash atop a high ridge on June 2020 in the Ladakh region's Karakoram Mountains, India announced it had lost 20 of its soldiers in the battle that saw fists, clubs, stones and other improvised weapons used to avoid a firefight.
China was believed to have also suffered casualties but did not provide any details, saying it didn't want to further inflame tensions.?
Even Friday's announcement is ambiguous as it did not clarify whether these are the only fatalities PLA suffered.
The People's Liberation Army Daily newspaper said that the four killed were named as official state martyrs and awarded other posthumous honors.
It said the title of "border-defending hero'' was conferred on Battalion Commander Chen Hongjun, while Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran received first-class merit awards. It attributed their deaths to fighting in "a clash with trespassing foreign military personnel," without mentioning India directly.
Qi Fabao, a regimental commander from the PLA Xinjiang Military Command who was wounded in the clash, was awarded the title of Hero regimental commander for defending the border.
India maintains Chinese side suffered more casualties
India still maintains that the Chinese side had suffered more casualties in the face-off that led to hand-to-hand combat.
Even this week Lt. Gen. YK Joshi, who commands the Indian Army's Northern Command, said Indian observers counted more than 60 Chinese troops being taken away on stretchers, though it wasn't clear how many suffered fatal injuries.
India estimates that around 45 PLA soldiers were killed in the clashes.
The Russian official news agency TASS reported on February 10 that 45 Chinese servicemen were killed in the Galwan Valley clash.
According to an American intelligence report last year, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35.
The development also comes at a time when the two sides have agreed to disengage and de-escalate the situation.
India and China military delegates will meet on Saturday for the tenth round of talks to discuss disengagement at other friction places at the Line of Actual Control.
During the tenth round, the Corps Commanders will discuss other friction areas like Hot Springs, Gogra and 900 square km Depsang Plains. The talks will start at 10 a.m. at Moldo on the Chinese side.
