China's Global Times ups the ante on LAC standoff, says India needs to get rid of two misjudgments

Amid the rising tension between India and China over the violent clashes between the soldiers of the two countries in Galwan Valley on Monday night, editor of Global Times, a mouthpiece of the administration in Beijing, on Wednesday (June 17) upped the ante on Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoff, saying India needs to get rid of two misjudgments

The Global Times editor, Hu Xijin, said that India must not underestimate China’s will to prevent Indian troops from crossing Line of Actual Control and Indian citizens should stop thinking that India has military capacity to win a border war against China. The Global Times editor also said that a correct understanding of each other is basis for China-India friendly coexistence.

"Indian society needs to rid two misjudgments: 1. It underestimates China’s will to prevent Indian troops from crossing LAC; 2. It thinks India has military capacity to beat China in a border war. Correct understanding of each other is basis for China-India friendly coexistence," tweeted Hu Xijin.

Indian society needs to rid two misjudgments: 1. It underestimates China’s will to prevent Indian troops from crossing LAC; 2. It thinks India has military capacity to beat China in a border war. Correct understanding of each other is basis for China-India friendly coexistence. — Hu Xijin  (@HuXijin_GT) June 17, 2020

The violent clashes which took place on Monday night led to the martyrdom of 20 Indian soldiers and several reports claimed that around 40 Chinese troops, including some senior officers were also killed in the clashes. The clashes in Galwan Valley were the biggest and bloodiest confrontation between the forces of the two countries after their clashes in Nathu La in 1967. It is to be noted that in 1967 India lost around 80 soldiers while over 300 Chinese troops were killed.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (June 17) decided to convene an all-party virtual meet on June 19 to discuss the situation on the India-China border, besides giving a clear message that the sacrifice of Indian soldiers killed in the Galwan Valley clash in Ladakh will not go in vain.

In a direct message to China, PM Modi said that India wants peace but is capable of giving a befitting reply, if instigated by any nation. Prior to that, a round of important meetings on Sino-India border dispute were held. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with the Chiefs of the Army, Air Force, and Navy besides Chief Of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and then met the Prime Minister.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on phoneon Wednesday and discussed the prevailing situation in Eastern Ladakh following the bloody conflict between the armed forces of the two countries. Jaishankar conveyed a strong message to China, saying, “What happened in Galwan was premeditated and planned action by China which was responsible for the sequence of events.”