Do not underestimate our 'firm will' to guard territorial sovereignty: China warns India

China on Thursday warned India not to underestimate the country's "will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty" days after at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a deadly border dispute between both countries. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying repeated once again that Indian front-line troops broke the consensus and crossed the Line of Actual Control and deliberately provoked and attacked Chinese officers and soldiers. 

She further explained that this was the reason behind the "fierce physical conflicts" which resulted in casualties."India must not misjudge the current situation or underestimate China's firm will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty," tweeted Hua. 

China, India agree to "cool down" border tensions  

The foreign ministers of China and India agreed to "cool down" the recent border tensions in the Ladakh region as soon as possible during a telephone talk held Wednesday but blamed each other.

According to China's foreign ministry on Wednesday, both countries have agreed to "deal fairly" with the events in Galwan Valley and maintain peace in the border areas after soldiers of the two sides savagely fought each other with nail-studded clubs and stones on their Himalayan border, killing at least 20 Indian troops.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the clash erupted after Indian soldiers "crossed the line, acted illegally, [and] provoked and attacked the Chinese, resulting in both sides engaging in serious physical conflict and injury and death".

He said he did not know of any Chinese casualties, although Indian media quoted officials as saying at least 45 people were dead or injured on the Chinese side.

Also read: 20 Indian soldiers killed in 'violent face-off' with Chinese army at Ladakh

According to the Global Times, a top Chinese newspaper that comments on international issues from a national perspective, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Indian counterpart that New Delhi "must make sure similar incidents as that on Monday do not happen again".

"India must also not miscalculate the current situation, and not underestimate China's determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territory," the paper quoted Wang as saying.

It added that Beijing has urged New Delhi "to investigate the clash incident in the border region on Mon., punish those responsible, and restrain its military forces in the region to prevent any provocative actions".

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the other hand, claimed the country "never provoke(s) anyone", referring to Monday’s hand-to-hand fighting while speaking on the national television.

"There should be no doubt that India wants peace, but if provoked, India will provide an appropriate response," Modi added.

Indian officials alleged that their soldiers were hit with clubs studded with nails and stones during a brawl that erupted in the remote valley, high in the mountains where India’s Ladakh region borders the Aksai Chin region.

The rival armies have been eyeball-to-eyeball at their border for decades but it was the worst clash since 1967 — five years after China brutally humiliated India in the 1962 Sino-Indian War.

Also read: The Chinese push back in Ladakh is a lesson for Modi & Co

Modi, a strident nationalist, was elected to a second five-year term in May 2019 following a campaign focused on national security after spiralling tensions with old enemy Pakistan, on India’s western border.

India’s gung-ho media and the opposition piled pressure on him to respond aggressively. 

Colonel killed

According to the Indian government sources, the fighting on Monday night broke out during a meeting to discuss ways to deescalate tensions and the colonel commanding the Indian side was one of the first to be struck and killed.

Many of the other Indian soldiers who died had succumbed to their wounds, having been unable to survive the night in freezing temperatures.

Unlike in India, the incident did not receive wall-to-wall coverage in China, where official media reported a statement on the incident from the spokesperson for the Chinese army’s Western Command.

Also read: India no longer 'weak', says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh amid tensions with China

On social media, bloggers and media-aggregating platforms shared Indian media reports, such as the Indian army’s announcement acknowledging that the death toll had risen to 20.

Global Times Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin pointed out "serious flaws of Indian army to provide emergency treatment to the wounded".

Hu scolded India on domestic and global social media platforms, saying its army did not have "real modern combat capabilities", that the "Indian public opinion needs to stay sober", and that China did not fear a clash.