China ‘Planned’ Galwan Valley Clash, Says US Commission Report

India has not yet commented on the report.

Image of China’s flag (L) and India’s flag (R), and maps of UTs of J&K and Ladakh, used for representational purposes.

(Photo: The Quint)

The US Congressional Commission in its report to Congress stated that the Chinese government had planned the Galwan Valley clashes in June earlier this year, which resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers, and potential Chinese casualties.

The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission submitted the report on 1 December, and described the India-China standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as the “most severe border crisis in decades,” reported Hindustan Times.

The US Commission in its report stated that China has ramped up its “multi-year coercion campaign” against its neighbours, provoking military or paramilitary standoffs with countries from Japan to India and much of Southeast Asia, reported The Print.

“Some evidence suggested the Chinese government had planned the incident, potentially including the possibility for fatalities. For instance, several weeks prior to the clash, Defense Minister Wei made his statement encouraging Beijing to ‘use fighting to promote stability’.”

US Commission Report

The report also added that Satellite images depicted a large Chinese buildup in the Galwan Valley, including potentially 1,000 PLA soldiers, the week before the deadly skirmish.

It further suggested that “just over two weeks before the incident, in another potential indication of Chinese leaders signalling 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 US-China rivalry.”

Indian officials have not yet commented on the report.

India and China faced off in June this year, and have been at loggerheads since. The two countries have been unable to agree on disengagement and de-escalation despite several rounds of diplomatic and military talks.

(With inputs from The Print and Hindustan Times)