China Reiterates Claim Over Galwan Valley

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) SRINAGAR: China on Saturday reiterated its claim over the strategic Galwan Valley and accused Indian troops of violating the agreement between Beijing and New Delhi by crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and attacking PLA troops when the situation was already easing.

Taking to Twitter, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lijian Zhao gave step-by-step account of the Galwan Valley incident in a series of eight posts.

In the first Tweet, Zhao claimed that the Galwan Valley is located on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in the west section of the China-India boundary. For many years, he said the Chinese border troops have been patrolling and on duty in this region.

'Since April, the Indian border troops have unilaterally and continuously built roads, bridges and other facilities at the LAC in Galwan Valley. China lodged representations and protests on multiple occasions but India went even further to cross the LAC and made provocations,' Zhao said in his second Tweet.

In another Tweet, the spokesperson alleged, 'On May 6, Indian border troops crossed LAC, trespassed into China's territory, built fortification & barricades, which impeded the patrol of Chinese border troops. They deliberately made provocations in an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo of control & management,'

Zhao said that the Chinese border troops were compelled to take necessary measures to respond to the situation on the ground and strengthen management & control in the border areas. 'To ease the situation, China and India stayed in close communication through military and diplomatic channels,' he said.

In the following Tweet, he added that in response to the strong demand of the Chinese side, India agreed to withdraw the personnel who crossed the LAC and demolish the facilities, and so they did.

Referring to the high-level army commanders meet on June 6, Zhao said that India promised it would not cross the estuary of Galwan river to patrol & build facilities. He said that the two sides would discuss & decide phased withdrawal of troops by officials on the ground.

'Shockingly, on the evening of June 15, India's front-line troops, in violation of the agreement reached at the commander-level meeting, once again crossed the Line of Actual Control for deliberate provocation when the situation in the Galwan Valley was already easing,' he claimed.

In his last Tweet, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson alleged, 'India's front-line troops even violently attacked the Chinese officers and soldiers who went there for negotiation, thus triggering fierce physical conflicts and causing casualties. This is the step-by-step account of the Galwan clash'.

Zhao's reaction comes in the backdrop of allegations and counter-allegations by New Delhi and Beijing over the deadly clash that has brought the two neighbouring nations to the brink of war.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told an all-party meet that the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice taught a 'lesson' to those who had dared to look towards India and that the army has been given 'freedom' to take necessary steps.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC.

Prior to the clashes, both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

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