China Wants Trade Relations With India To Continue But Will Not Vacate Occupied Territory In Ladakh
Qi Fabao, the regimental commander from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang military command, had suffered serious head injury while directing his men in the Galwan Valley to physically assault the Indian troops across the LAC on June 15, 2020, in Galwan Valley.
Finally after nearly a year, he has made an appearance and spoke at a recent high-level military meeting to “ honor” the heroic border troops. As the first anniversary of the skirmish approaches, the Chinese Communist Party and the PLA has been forced to acknowledge the death of Chinese soldiers during the confrontation with Indian troops.
According to the video clip from the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) on Thursday, Qi, in military uniform with a Party emblem on, attended a meeting organized by the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission. The scar in his head can be clearly seen.
Along with four other frontline soldiers, Qi shared the stories of four martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Galwan Valley clash. The story has been tied up as the Central Military Commission had nearly one year to make the story plausible.
As per the Communist Party only Four Chinese officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives, and one was heavily injured during the incident. After the clash it had been estimated that the PLA had lost a substantial number as killed and over 40 as injured. It was totally denied by the Party, the CMC and the PLA. However a few months later, the Russian Press citing evidence confirmed the death of 45 PLA soldiers and at least 40 Wounded.
After pressure started building up within the Chinese society, finally the sacrifice of the soldiers were acknowledged. After a year, five have been awarded by the Central Military Commission.
The four martyrs were battalion commander Chen Hongjun and soldiers Xiao Siyuan, Wang Zhuoran and Chen Xiangrong. They were born in 1987, 1996, 1996, and 2001, respectively. Both Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran were 24 years old. Chen Xiangrong died at the age of 19.
So while defending Colonel Suresh Babu, the gallant Biharis lost 20 of their comrades, they made sure that the counterpart Chinese battalion Commander too had to sacrifice his life. Even the Senior most officer present there the Regimental Commander did not go unscathed.
Chen Hongjun, The Chinese battalion Commander
“If the troop is compared to a sharp sword, then the courage and uprightness of soldiers is the blade of the sword. We are not afraid of sacrifice, and we have always held on to the belief that we would rather sacrifice our lives than lose an inch of our territory,” Qi said in his brave speech, after one year of the incident.
However the Chinese Communist Party and PLA should not have any illusion that India will make any concession on the issue of territorial integrity of Ladakh. The two countries should respect each other and meet halfway to restore peace and tranquility on the Indo Tibetan border. To create conditions for the restart of China-India trade and other relations, PLA must vacate all the territory they have occupied in Ladhak. Thereafter the Indo Tibetan Border must be demarcated both on ground and on map.
The skirmish in June 2020 was caused by Chinese provocative tactics of salami slicing some more Indian territory to gain tactical advantage in certain areas including Galwan Valley. However the frontline Indian soldiers on the LACc have demonstrated their spirit of never giving up an inch of territory in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese for the first time after Nathula La incident again had heavy casualties.
The pathetic Communists initially denied having any casualties. However the pressure built up by those who lost their kith and kin in trying to defend unjustly grabbed Indian territory, has forced the Communists to honour a few of the soldiers. This honouring is being done as a patriotic and national defense education for the Chinese public before the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1 and China’s Army Day on August 1.
In February, the Central Military Commission issued commendations to the servicemen for their role in fighting back Indian forces at the Galwan Valley. The title of “border-defending hero” was conferred on Battalion Commander Chen Hongjun posthumously, while Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran received first-class merits. They all died in a Galwan Valley clash last June, Xinhua reported.
The event is part of the action to calm down an enraged Chinese society and to coerce them to understand the importance of the PLA moves, which needs greater respect, as they are protecting the core interests of the Communist Party. So a law has been passed which promises grave punishments to those who try and defame the PLA.
