Chinese government 'planned' Galwan Valley violent clash says US top panel

Washington DC, December 02: In a major revelation, the US's top Security panel named USCC (United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission) in its reports said, "Some evidence suggested the Chinese government had planned the Galwan clash in June 2020, potentially including the possibility for fatalities."

 

In its 587 pages report, the US panel maintained that In June 2020, the PLA and Indian troops engaged in a massive physical brawl in the Galwan Valley, located in the far-western Ladakh region along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) separating the two countries. "The clash, which followed a series of standoffs begin- ning in early May along with multiple sectors of the LAC, led to at least 20 Indian deaths and an unconfirmed number of Chinese casualties, the first time since 1975 that lives were lost in fighting between the two sides."

 

In its chapter named, Beijing Escalates Tensions with New Delhi the US agency noted that “if China’s goal was ‘to acquire territory... [the Chinese government] might deem the moves a success’. If Beijing intended to dissuade India from building infrastructure on its side of the LAC or warn it against aligning with the United States, however, ‘then the Chinese moves have been ineffective, if not counterproductive’.”

 

It also mentioned that actions by the Chinese side were hinting towards these deadly clashes, weeks before the violent clashes happened at Galwan. “For instance, several weeks before the clash Defense Minister Wei made his statement encouraging Beijing to “use fighting to promote stability.”

 

 

The report added that just over two weeks before the incident, in another potential indication of Chinese leaders signaling their intent to escalate tensions, an editorial in China’s state-owned tabloid Global Times warned that India would suffer a “devastating blow” to its trade and economic ties with China if it got “involved in the U.S.-China rivalry.”

 

The report said, "Beijing ramped up its multiyear coercion campaign against its neighbours, provoking military or paramilitary standoffs with countries from Japan to India and much of Southeast Asia.”

 

The US report highlighted that an analysis of satellite images taken before the clash showed a considerable Chinese build-up in the Galwan Valley, a week before the deadly skirmish.  As per the US panel, as many as 1,000 PLA soldiers could have collected at the site.

 

 

 

USCC was formed in 2000, it investigated national security and trade issues between China and the US. Apart from this it also provides a recommendation to US congress for legislative and administrative action, on Beijing