Amid escalating tensions with China, Indian-Americans stage peaceful protest in Chicago

Amid growing anti-China protests after the violent Galwan faceoff in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred, several Indian-Americans demonstrated in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago on a Thursday, June 25. However, due to COVID-19 outbreak, large demonstrations were avoided as the city of Chicago did not allow any large demonstrations.

Following the rules that allow the assembly of 15 people to demonstrate in their individual capacity, Indian Americans carried various placards denouncing China for its aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and other neighbouring countries. Even as the protest was peaceful, Staff of Chinese consulate placed private security ahead of the event. The incident is significant as China has been called out by the US for hiding the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic and is now being questioned for aggression against India.

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'US reviewing its global force posture to counter Chinese Army's threat to India'

Meanwhile, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday said he spoke with European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers earlier this month about the "provocative military actions" of the Chinese Army. Citing the example of "deadly border confrontations" with India, he asserted that Washington will make sure it is postured appropriately to counter People's Liberation Army (PLA) in view of the threat from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to India, Vietnam and other countries.

"I spoke this month with EU Foreign Ministers, I got a lot of feedback on CCP, laid out a series of facts that talked about PLA's provocative military actions including its continued aggression in the South China Sea, deadly border confrontations with India and threats against peaceful neighbours," Pompeo said during the Brussels Forum virtual conference.

"There will be fewer US resources in certain places. They will be at other places as there is a threat from the CCP to India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the South China Sea. We will make sure we are postured appropriately to counter the PLA," he said. The force posture review is being done at the direction of President Donald Trump, as part of which the US is reducing the number of its troops in Germany from about 52,000 to 25,000, Pompeo said.

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Galwan clash

20 Indian Army soldiers including a Colonel were martyred when a violent faceoff took place last Monday night while the de-escalation process was underway in the Galwan Valley. 76 others suffered injuries in the clash, in which hundreds of soldiers from both sides are said to have engaged.

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READ | 'US reviewing its global force posture to counter Chinese Army's threat to India': Pompeo