China says it lost four troops in 2020 India border clash

In this image taken from video footage run Feb. 19, 2021 by China’s CCTV via AP Video, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) regimental commander Qi Fabao, second from left, talks with members of the Indian military as Indian and Chinese troops face off in the Galwan Valley on the disputed border between China and India, June 15, 2020. China’s military said Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 that four of its soldiers were killed in a high-mountain border clash with Indian forces last year, the first time Beijing has publicly conceded its side suffered casualties in the deadliest incident between the Asian giants in nearly 45 years. (CCTV via AP Video)

China’s military has acknowledged four of its soldiers were killed in a high-mountain border clash with Indian forces last year, the first time Beijing has publicly conceded its side suffered casualties in the deadliest incident between the Asian giants in nearly 45 years.

The announcement, more than six months after the bloody hand-to-hand fighting, should help global audiences “understand the truth and the right and wrong of the incident”, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.