China's casualty denial escalates; after refuting '20', Beijing now calls '40' fake news

After the Galwan Valley clash on June 15 where 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives fighting the Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, China has been peddling questionable statements via its mouthpieces and stooges regarding the incident. Even though three different sources including Indian intercepts and US intelligence agencies have revealed that the Chinese side suffered between 35-45 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash, China has refused to reveal the precise numbers in the guise of goodwill, though that goodwill now seems to be weakening and the truth emerging, by exclusion if nothing else.

'Fake News'

On Tuesday, Beijing rejected reports that over 40 were killed on Chinese side, and called the numbers "fake news". Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lijian Zhao added that China and India were in dialogue and talks with each other to resolve the border issue through diplomatic and military channels.

The Chinese government and its media have maintained that Indian Army 'broke the consensus and crossed the Line of Actual Control, deliberately provoking and attacking Chinese officers and soldiers', leading to violence. This has been called out. In the chain of events that followed, China first said that it wouldn't reveal casualties, then said its casualties are less than 20 (the number of casualties India suffered) and as now denied that there were 40 casualties.

India rejects China's Galwan claim

Slamming China's incursion into Indian territory at the LAC, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted that the Chinese side took pre-meditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties which reflected its intent to 'change facts' on the ground in violation of the previous agreements reached during his telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

'Purposeful decision by Beijing'

United States intelligence agencies on Tuesday nailed the lies of China and revealed that it was the Chinese General who ordered an attack on Indian soldiers in Galwan. The assessment by the agencies contradicts China's subsequent assertions about what happened last week.

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It indicates the deadly and contentious incident in which at least 20 Indian and 35 Chinese troops died, and reportedly a handful on each side was captured and subsequently released, was not the result of a tense circumstance that spiralled out of control, as has happened before, but rather a purposeful decision by Beijing to send a message of strength to India.

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In the Corps Commander level talks between India and China at Moldo on Monday, both sides have reached a mutual consensus to disengage in the Eastern Ladakh sector, as per sources.

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(With agency inputs)