PLA Soldiers “Earned Victory” over Indian Troops in Galwan Valley Clash: Chinese Media

Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers “earned victory” over Indian troops in the Galwan Valley clash during June 2020, reports in Chinese state-run media have claimed.

In a chest-thumping article, Xinhua News Agency attributed the ‘victory’ to “Chinese officers and soldiers' shared belief - to live or to die together in the battlefield.” The article published on Saturday was carried later by Global Times.

According to the report, “when regimental commander Qi Fabao was ‘besieged’ by Indian troops soldier Chen Hongjun took two other soldiers and rushed forward against the stones that were being hurled and the blows from sticks wielded by Indian troops. Using his body as a shield, Chen rescued Qi.”

As he saw several soldiers were besieged by the Indian troops, Chen Hongjun, once again, turned around without hesitation and led the soldiers to charge again at the ‘battleground.’

At the spot where Chen Hongjun and other soldiers died, soldier Chen Xiangrong was lying next to Chen Hongjun's body, maintaining a posture of protecting his battalion commander, the Xinhua report said.

The 33-yeard-old Chen Hongjun sacrificed his life to the frontline defense confrontation with India in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, along with other four of his comrades-in-arms, who had stationed in the Karakoram Mountains with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang Military Command, the report said.

Following the deaths and subsequent state honor bestowed on the fallen soldiers, Many frontier officers and soldiers have written an oath on their helmets – ‘Give up no inch of the picturesque landscape of China.’ - To remind themselves of their most important mission as Chinese soldiers.

In the days following the June 2020 clash when India released information about the death of 18 of its soldiers, China had tried to play down the incident stating, “There are casualties on both sides.” However, it upped the ante later releasing a graphic video of its soldiers clashing with Indian troops amidst an outpouring of national fervour following the state funeral given to the fallen soldiers.