CHINA-INDIA: PLA REGIMENTAL COMMANDER INJURED AT GALWAN VALLEY ASSERTS AT HIGH-LEVEL MILITARY MEETING THAT SACRIFICE IS BETTER THAN LOSING EVEN AN INCH OF TERRITORY

The PLA Daily (June 11) reported that Qi Fabao, the Regimental Commander of the PLA Xinjiang Military Command, who suffered a serious head injury while fighting bravely in the Galwan Valley border skirmish on June 15, 2020, spoke at a high-level military meeting organized by the CMC's Political Work Department in honour of heroic border troops on June 11. It said as the first anniversary of the skirmish approaches, experts say China has once again shown its determination to safeguard territorial integrity. The military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) on June 10, showed Qi Fabao in military uniform with a Party emblem on attending the meeting with the scar on his head clearly visible.  Qi Fabao, along with four other frontline soldiers, shared the stories of four martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Galwan Valley clash. He said "If the troop is compared to a sharp sword, then the courage and uprightness of soldiers is the blade of the sword. We are not afraid of sacrifice, and we have always held on to the belief that we would rather sacrifice our lives than lose an inch of our territory." Qian Feng, Director of the Research Department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told Global Times (June 11) that Qi Fabao's speech showed China's consistent and firm attitude of safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said India should not have any illusion that China will make any concession on the issue of territorial integrity, adding that the two countries should respect each other and meet halfway to restore peace and tranquillity on the border and create conditions for the restart of China-India relations. Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told Global Times (June 11) that the skirmish in June 2020 was caused by India's provocation, and Chinese frontline soldiers have demonstrated their spirit of never giving up an inch of territory in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The briefing that highlighted heroes can also been seen as a patriotic and national defense education for the Chinese public before the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1 and China's Army Day on August 1. He added that the event can make the whole society understand the importance of the military, which needs greater respect, as they are protecting China's core interests with their blood and lives.  The PLA Daily report recalled that in February, the Central Military Commission issued commendations to the servicemen for their role in bravely fighting back provocations by foreign forces at the Galwan Valley. The title of "border-defending hero" was conferred on Battalion Commander Chen Hongjun posthumously, while Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran received first-class merits. They all died in a Galwan Valley clash last June. In May, the CPC Central Committee announced that they will, for the first time, issue July 1 Medals to Party members who have made outstanding contributions and created valuable spiritual wealth. The 29 candidates recommended for the award included Chen Hongjun, a Galwan Valley hero who died in the clash last year.





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