Claims that 40 PLA soldiers died in Galwan Valley clash is ‘fake news’: Chinese Foreign Ministry

The Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement on Tuesday claiming that reports of at least 40 soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) being killed in the violent face-off in Galwan Valley as “Fake News”. Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times attributed the statement to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also said that a commander-level meet was held on Monday between troops from both sides, the first such meeting since the violent face-off in Galwan Valley on the night of June 15. This, added the statement, shows “that both sides hope to properly handle their differences through dialogue and consultation”.

Earlier this week, China’s Foreign Ministry had issued a statement in response to the call for boycotting Chinese products in India. The statement said, “Responsibility for the border clash rests entirely on the Indian side. China attaches great importance to China-India relations and hopes the two can work to safeguard the long-term development of bilateral ties.”

While the Indian Army had clarified that 20 of its soldiers were killed in the line of duty during the violent face-off on June 15, it had also made clear that another 78 personnel incurred injuries and are being treated at various hospitals.

On Saturday, Union Minister General (Retd) VK Singh had claimed that China lost double the number of soldiers killed on the Indian side during the face-off. He went further to say, “China hides numbers. In the 1962 war too, it did not accept the casualties.”

However, the Chinese government or the PLA is yet to release exact figures of troops lost in the Galwan Valley face-off.