Ladakh’s Galwan Valley was the site of a violent hand-to-hand clash between the Indo-China militaries on June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
Claim: Certain websites have been doing rounds on social media where, Jianli Yang, a Chinese dissident and son of a former Communist Party leader claimed that more than 100 Chinese soldiers have been killed at the hands of the Indian Army in the Galwan Valley, but the Chinese government is not deliberately releasing the figures.
Earlier, in an opinion piece in The Washington Post, Yang, the founder and president of Citizen Power Initiatives for China, wrote, Beijing fears admitting that it had lost troops, that too more in number than its opponent, could lead to major domestic unrest that can even put the regime of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at stake.
"Even a week after the incident, China has refused to publicly admit that there had been casualties on its side, while India paid the last homage to its martyrs with full state honours," Jianli stated.
Information Asymmetry: It’s important to note the information asymmetry that exists between Beijing and New Delhi. Most media reports completely disavow the fact.
Even if the current regime is tight-lipped about events, several Indian publications including the Times of India, Economic Times, The Hindu, News 18, The Indian Express and Hindustan Times have detailed reports on the skirmishes.
It was the front page on several publications, including The Telegraph which had its customary pun in bad taste to mock the current dispensation.
On the other hand, China’s official media buried it deep. The Hindu’s Ananth Krishan noted that the People’s Daily and PLA Daily hadn’t even mentioned the worst clashes between the two nations in 50 years while Global Times carried on Page 16.
In the past, Indians have also cited US intelligence sources claiming that 35 soldiers were killed.
Conclusion: With that being said, the claim around 100 Chinese soldiers being killed is not reported by any credible websites or news media portals.
Not to mention, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian did not even acknowledge that there were casualties on their end. Therefore, it isn’t legit to simply put forth a number and call it a day.
