In a shocking revelation about China hiding its losses in the Galwan Valley clash with India in June 2020, new research has shown that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) lost at least nine times more soldiers than its official count of four.
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At least 38 PLA troops drowned while crossing a fast-flowing, sub-zero river in darkness, according to an article in the Australian newspaper ‘The Klaxon’ which cited a report prepared by a group of social media researchers after a year-long investigation.
Of the four soldiers China has confirmed died, only one – Junior Sergeant Wang Zhuoran – is reported as having drowned, the investigative newspaper said.
The report cited “several Weibo users” and said, “at least 38 PLA troops along with Wang were washed away and drowned that night…of which only Wang was declared among the four officially dead soldiers”.
The report cited a year-long investigation involving discussions with mainland Chinese bloggers, information obtained from mainland-based Chinese citizens, and media reports that have since been deleted by Chinese authorities.
India had said that 20 of its soldiers had died in the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020 which was fought in hand-to-hand combat in sub-zero temperatures in the near pitch-black night of June 15 and June 16, 2020.
The Galwan Valley clash was the deadliest confrontation between India and China in over four decades. China’s state media has almost entirely failed to cover the skirmish or its aftermath.
The clash took place along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh following a standoff over actions of the Chinese Army.
