(TibetanReview.net, Jun16’22) – In a move to play up its occupied Tibet border dispute with India, China marked the second anniversary of the deadly Jun 15 Galwan Valley clash with Indian troops by paying tribute to its soldiers who died at that time, hailing them “as the real model of the young generation.” It also released a video on the state CCTV (China Central Television), reported on the PLA Southern Xinjiang Military Command’s commemoration of the incident, published an article of remembrance from the People’s Liberation Army Western Theater Command, and reenacted the clash.
“Comrades-in-arms of border defense heroes and many Chinese netizens expressed their tribute with some sharing moments on social media, commemorating the martyrs and paying tribute to those Chinese soldiers hailed as the real model of the young generation,” reported China’s official globaltimes.cn Jun 15.
It said a video published by the military channel of CCTV, released to the public for the first time, showed an image of Chen Xiangrong and his comrades-in-arms. It described Chen, 19, as “one of the martyrs who sacrificed his life for the defense of the Chinese territory during the border standoff with India in 2020.”
The report said the fighting slogan “My pure love is only for China”, supposedly written by the deceased Chen, had inspired thousands of millions of Chinese people.
The report also said that on Jun 15, the PLA Southern Xinjiang Military Command organized activities “to commemorate border defense heroes and inspire officers and soldiers to train and prepare for war.”
The report said comrades-in-arms of Wang Zhuoran, described as “another of the martyrs who sacrificed his life to safeguard national sovereignty and territory in the clash, shared the story of the hero on Wednesday, inspiring other officers and soldiers to learn from him, practice skills, and fight for the motherland and the people.”
A reenactment of the battle was stated to have been staged at the command, “featuring how the heroes defended the country and guarded the border, to encourage others to follow suit.”
Besides, the report said, the People’s Liberation Army Western Theater Command published an article on Jun 15 saying that “two years on, we still miss you very much”, noting that “June 15, 2020 is a date that will never be forgotten in the history of border defense.”
The report said four Chinese officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives and one was seriously injured during the incident and they were all awarded by the Central Military Commission. It also said a total of 20 Indian soldiers died in the skirmish.
The report claimed that Chinese border officers and soldiers had “exercised restraint and tried their utmost to safeguard the overall interests of bilateral relations and peace in the border areas while facing illegal provocations by the other side.”
“In desperation, the border guards resolutely fought back the aggression, achieving major victories and effectively safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the report added.