China politicises Olympics to provoke India; chooses Galwan Clash soldier as torchbearer

Amid a lingering border standoff, China has once again tried to provoke India and in doing so has politicised the Beijing Winter Olympics. Beijing's mouthpiece Global Times on Twitter revealed that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) regiment commander Qi Fabao who fought and sustained a head injury in the 2020 Galwan Valley clash has been made a torchbearer for Winter Olympic Torch Relay. China's move to provoke India also comes after the latter announced a scheme to strengthen the infrastructure under the new Vibrant Villages Programme. 

Commenting on China's attempt to provoke, Major General AK Siwach (Retired) on Republic TV said that the PLA is engaging in psychological warfare. In addition, he stated that China lost more than 100 soldiers compared to India's 20 soldiers who were martyred in the clashes. He also slammed Beijing and stated that it has not disclosed the number of casualties on its side so far. 

"Did they even look after those who lost their lives? They haven't even told the Chinese public that they lost more than 100 PLA soldiers. China stands isolated today and the Beijing Winter Olympics has been diplomatically boycotted by more than 20 countries," said Major General AK Siwac

India and China completed the 14th round of Corps Commander-level talks on January 12 at the Chushul-Moldo border along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. A joint press release of the talks stated that the meeting was attended by representatives from both sides' defence and foreign affairs establishments. The two sides had an open and in-depth discussion about how to resolve the concerns along the LAC in the Western Sector. 

As per the release, both sides agreed to follow the State Leaders' direction and endeavour to resolve the lingering concerns as soon as possible. This would aid in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western Sector, as well as improvement in bilateral ties, they noted. The two countries also agreed to build on recent accomplishments and make concerted efforts to maintain security and stability in the Western Sector, notably during the winter season. 

2020 Galwan Valley clash 

Indian and Chinese troops clashed in June 2020, resulting in the loss of lives on both sides. The conflict erupted following the transgression by China's Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in the Galwan Valley. So far, 14 rounds of military talks and several diplomatic parleys have been held between New Delhi and Beijing, but the concerns are yet to be fully resolved along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.