Ladakh Flash Point

Status
Not open for further replies.

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Yesterday they said they have deployed 150.000 tons of material and today they are searching for water. Something contradicts the other, and we probably know what of those announcements is the wrong one.

Not necessarily. Material could just include gear, munition, and food and not water, which they thought could be obtained locally.
 

Figaro

Senior Member
Registered Member
From Hu Xijin. It basically says the number of PLA dead is far less than that of the Indians on June 15 and that some of the PLA fought to the last breath, with none captured. Then reinforcements arrived and counterattacked, causing massive Indian casualties (i.e. falling into icy river, down cliffs, surrendering). Credits to the translation go to Song Hong. If the translation is missing any key components, feel free to tack on. Personally I'm not sure of this account since it contradicts other Chinese sources we've been hearing although Hu Xijin is still quite a credible source.
1.png
 

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
From Hu Xijin. It basically says the number of PLA dead is far less than that of the Indians on June 15 and that some of the PLA fought to the last breath, with none captured. Then reinforcements arrived and counterattacked, causing massive Indian casualties (i.e. falling into icy river, down cliffs, surrendering). Credits to the translation go to Song Hong. If the translation is missing any key components, feel free to tack on. Personally I'm not sure of this account since it contradicts other Chinese sources we've been hearing although Hu Xijin is still quite a credible source.
View attachment 63681

Unfortunately I think this is the official confirmation we are waiting for. I actually agree with the Indians now on one issue: the PLA soldiers didn’t get the recognition they deserve. I know that China suppressed the information to prevent escalations but look at the situation now. There is no assuaging the Indian position.
 

Figaro

Senior Member
Registered Member
Unfortunately I think this is the official confirmation we are waiting for. I actually agree with the Indians now on one issue: the PLA soldiers didn’t get the recognition they deserve. I know that China suppressed the information to prevent escalations but look at the situation now. There is no assuaging the Indian position.
Well he said mostly the same immediately after June 15 as well, so nothing really surprising from him. But one surprising thing is he said the Indians ambushed first and caused some PLA soldiers to fight to the death, which is definitely new and that the main Galwan battle was the Chinese counterattack. If this is the case, I have no idea why the Chinese government did not take a much more forceful tone against the Indians and provide evidence that it was an Indian attack first that then led to the Chinese counterattack, which inflicted the brunt of the casualties in the whole standoff. Either Hu Xijin's account is incorrect, which is possible, or the Chinese government made a huge PR blunder, which is also possible. And if just one PLA soldier did indeed die, why withhold his name or acknowledge his loss when it was the direct consequence of Indian aggression ... this logic makes absolutely no sense to me considering the PLA does indeed announce casualties for conflicts.
 
Last edited:

plawolf

Lieutenant General
Unfortunately I think this is the official confirmation we are waiting for. I actually agree with the Indians now on one issue: the PLA soldiers didn’t get the recognition they deserve. I know that China suppressed the information to prevent escalations but look at the situation now. There is no assuaging the Indian position.

I don’t know about that. There is a massive difference between official recognition and public recognition.

Publicly announcing casualties is an American tradition, but even the Americans started suppressing casualty reporting in recent years, with banning of images of returning flag draped caskets etc.

Public recognition has never really been a Chinese tradition, as such it’s a little unreasonable to apply (dated) American standards to the Chinese military.

How China honours its war dead is down to China to decide. But while they might not make a show and dance about it like the west and Indians, I am certain any PLA dead would be given all due honours and their family properly looked after. Could the Americans, never mind the Indians, say the same about the families of their war dead?

What’s more important to a grieving family, a publicity clown show or having your kids put through college and your housing costs handled?
 

Figaro

Senior Member
Registered Member
I don’t know about that. There is a massive difference between official recognition and public recognition.

Publicly announcing casualties is an American tradition, but even the Americans started suppressing casualty reporting in recent years, with banning of images of returning flag draped caskets etc.

Public recognition has never really been a Chinese tradition, as such it’s a little unreasonable to apply (dated) American standards to the Chinese military.

How China honours its war dead is down to China to decide. But while they might not make a show and dance about it like the west and Indians, I am certain any PLA dead would be given all due honours and their family properly looked after. Could the Americans, never mind the Indians, say the same about the families of their war dead?

What’s more important to a grieving family, a publicity clown show or having your kids put through college and your housing costs handled?
But the Indians announced the names of the 20 dead though? Even if they lost 50, at least 20 of them got recognition. If the PLA really suffered any dead and the government did not disclose their names (esp when India did), then I think it is pretty unfair to the dead. People in China should know their names, just like the people in India know the name of that CO Babu guy who was killed by a rock. If some soldiers really did fight to the death like Hu Xijin said, they should be rightfully honored as martyrs ... but this has evidently not been the case, pointing to 2 outcomes : either Hu Xijin is incorrect or the Chinese gov screwed up yet again. What difference does it make announcing your figures if India already hates you for massacring their soldiers anyway?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top