The Chinese government had planned the clash with Indian troops in the Galwan Valley in June, which resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and unspecified Chinese casualties, a US commission concluded in a new report to Congress.
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, in its report released on December 1, described the nearly eight-month standoff between India and China along the Royal Line of Control (LAC) as the “crisis most severe border in decades ”.
Referring to the “massive physical fight in the Galwan Valley” between the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Indian troops on June 15, the report said: “Some evidence suggested that the Chinese government had planned the incident, potentially including the possibility of deaths. For example, several weeks before the confrontation, Defense Minister Wei [Fenghe] he made his statement encouraging Beijing to ‘use struggle to promote stability.’
He added: “Satellite images showed a large accumulation of Chinese in the Galwan Valley, including potentially 1,000 PLA soldiers, the week before the deadly skirmish.”
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The report further noted that just over two weeks before the incident, in another possible indication that Chinese leaders signaled their intention to escalate tensions, an editorial in the China state tabloid Global Times warned that India would suffer a ‘devastating blow’ in its commercial and economic ties with China if it ‘got involved in the rivalry between the United States and China.’
The border confrontation between India and China came to light after two clashes between troops from the two sides in the Sikkim and Ladakh sectors of LAC. The two countries have been unable to agree on disengagement and de-escalation at sticking points despite several rounds of diplomatic and military talks.
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission was created by the US Congress in 2000 with the mandate to monitor and submit an annual report on the national security implications of trade and economic ties between Washington and Beijing.
The latest report largely focused on China’s assertive actions against Taiwan and Hong Kong, its strategic goals in Africa, and the border standoff with India. The clash in the Galwan Valley resulted in the first deaths across LAC since 1975 and the Indian leadership has said the incident has shaken the foundations of India-China ties based on peacekeeping and peacekeeping. tranquility along the disputed border.
The US commission report said the clash in the Galwan Valley “followed a series of clashes that began in early May in various sectors of LAC” and resulted in “at least 20 Indian deaths and an unconfirmed number of Chinese victims. “.
If China’s objective of its actions was “to acquire territory …[the Chinese government] I could consider the moves a success, ”the report said. “If Beijing intended to dissuade India from building infrastructure on its side of LAC or warn it not to align with the United States, however, ‘then Chinese measures have been ineffective, if not counterproductive,” the report added.
The report also referred to the imposition of a draconian national security law in Hong Kong this year, saying: “This action was one of many in 2020, including border skirmishes with India, military exercises to intimidate Taiwan and pressure on Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, among others, which demonstrated the indifference of the Chinese government towards its reputation abroad. ”
The report also noted that China and India had been involved in “multiple physical confrontations” across LAC for decades, but since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, “the two countries have seen five major altercations throughout. from its border ”.
“The exact motivations behind the provocative behavior of the Chinese government in LAC this year remain unclear. The proximate cause of the confrontation appeared to be the construction of a strategic access road in India to support troops stationed throughout LAC. China has also built extensive infrastructure throughout LAC in recent years, ”the report says.
Following the June 15 clash, China “asserted sovereignty over the entire Galwan Valley, a new claim and a significant change in the territorial status quo,” the report added.
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