The capability to commandeer the 17,000-feet peak of Yangtse can provide a strategic advantage to an army in the Tawang sector. On 9 December, a Chinese patrol tried to climb the peak and change the status quo in the Tawang sector, and the Indian Army thwarted, according to reports.
The clash between China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian Army in Arunachal Pradesh is the first serious skirmish since the Galwan clash of June 2020, in which soldiers of both countries had lost their lives. The 9 December incursion attempt led to a face-off which has reportedly been resolved by local commanders from Indian and the Chinese side.
The clash
The PLA’s Western Theatre Command spokesperson Long Shaohua made a statement on the incident in the Dongzhang area – the Chinese name for Chumi Gyatser waterfalls in the Tawang sector.
“The patrol was blocked by the Indian army illegally crossing the line. We dealt with it professionally and effectively and stabilised the situation on the ground. At present, China and India have disengaged. We ask the Indian side to strictly control and restrain the front-line troops, and work with China to maintain peace and tranquility on the border,” said Senior Colonel Long Shaohua.
The PLA spokesperson hinted that the patrol was stopped by the Indian Army but India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a strong statement in Parliament which had a different interpretation of the Arunachal clash.
“On 9 December 2022, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo. The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in a firm and resolute manner,” Singh said in a statement to the Rajya Sabha. He clarified that there were no fatalities or severe causalities on the Indian side. We are still learning about the details of the incident, but the Yangtse area has a contested history, and China keeps trying to change the status quo on the ground.
The Yangtse area has seen clashes over patrolling regions in recent years. It was the site of a brief stand-off in 2021 as well when the Chinese patrol tried to enter Indian territory. The clash occurred approximately 35 km north of Tawang in an area with intense civilian and military construction by Beijing, including Xiaokang villages (well-off settlements).
The site where the clash occurred is known in Chinese as Dongzhang or Dongzhang river valley. Chinese nationalists say that the PLA should reoccupy the Dongzhang area as it was “illegally occupied by the Indian Army”.
According to ThePrint report, the clash involved the use of “spiked clubs, taser guns, monkey fists” by the Chinese side. Another media report said that between 200 to 300 troops entered Arunachal Pradesh as a patrol and was countered by the Indian Army with troop deployment by the Quick Reaction Team. Some reports have suggested that the Chinese patrol that crossed into Arunachal Pradesh was as big as 600 soldiers. The reported number of Indian Army soldiers injured in the clash varies between nine and twenty, and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers are said to have been injured.
Some commentators on Weibo, the Chinese social media app, claimed the shots were fired during the clash. Though Indian media hasn’t reported the firing incident, some social media accounts have hinted at shots being fired on the PLA side.
When a journalist asked the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin about the Arunachal Pradesh clash during the daily press briefing, the response was: “…as far as we know, the current border situation between China and India is generally stable. The two sides have always maintained smooth communication on border-related issues through diplomatic and military channels. It is hoped that the Indian side will meet China halfway, conscientiously implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strictly abide by the spirit of the relevant agreements and agreements signed by the two sides, and jointly safeguard the relationship between China and India. Peace and tranquility in the border areas. As for the specific question you mentioned, I suggest you refer it to the relevant competent authority”. The reference to ‘competent authority’ pointing to the statement made by Western Theatre Command spokesperson Long Shaohua.
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The social media war
The news about the clash began to spread on Chinese social media immediately after the Indian media first reported it.
On Sina Weibo, the hashtag “China responds to Indian media’s claim of conflict on the Sino-Indian border” began trending as soon as the Chinese foreign ministry commented on the clash. The hashtag was viewed 160 million times on Weibo.
When the State media was still maintaining silence on the clashes, it was Weibo that became the source of information for the Chinese people. Apart from the social media platform, reporting by Russia’s Sputnik and Indian news sources also brought the LAC development before the Chinese people.
“It will not be at the Galwan level. The two sides have clashed here many times, and there will be no risky moves,” wrote a Chinese military blogger.
The Chinese nationalists applauded the actions of the PLA even though the details of the clash were scanty.
“In the mountains and rivers of the motherland, every inch of land must be contested. Salute to the heroic border guards!” wrote a PLA veteran and military blogger with over 7 million followers.
The nationalist narrative of Chinese social media tried to blame the Indian Army, saying it was Indian troops who entered the Chinese territory. The Chinese side had offered a similar public explanation after the Galwan clash.
In the early hours after the Indian media broke the news, former editor-in-chief of Global Times, Hu Xijin, was among the first prominent persons to comment.
“Several Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in the clash, but no one was killed. Some Russian media reported that at least six Indian soldiers were injured. Neither Chinese nor Indian officials have publicly confirmed the news,” wrote Hu Xijin in a lengthy Weibo post.
“According to ‘sources’ quoted by the Indian media, the clash took place on the 9th, and three days have passed since then, during which time no Chinese and Indian officials have publicly confirmed the above news and taken a position. It is possible that both sides are discussing how to deal with this matter,” added Hu Xijin.
Other prominent military bloggers on the social media platform began to comment on the incident after Hu’s Weibo post.
“On December 9, Indian troops clashed with Chinese troops near Yangtse (known as Dongzhang in China). Soldiers from both sides were injured, but no one was killed. Of course, the Indian media will definitely say that there are more Chinese soldiers injured. The location of the conflict is probably at the yellow circle in Figure 1, with Cuona County in Tibet to the north, Dawang Town in southern Tibet (actually controlled by India) in the south, and the red line is the actual control line of LAC,” said the Weibo account named ‘big red spear’.
During the early hours of Tuesday when the story was reported, the Chinese State media remained mum.
The Chinese State media has continued to maintain silence on the clash in Arunachal Pradesh, but Hong Kong Satellite Television (HSTV) reported the clash on 9 December. The HKSTV report had cited Indian media sources.
Chinese social media commentary also focused on India’s planned air drill from 15-16 December, according to an area warning notification. Area warning notifications announce any military activity in an area. The Chinese nationalists tried to use the news of upcoming air drill by Indian Airforce to justify actions of the PLA.
Another military blogger with over 1.3 million followers said India was about to conduct air drill in Arunachal Pradesh. “In addition, from the 15th to the 16th, India will hold an air force exercise in southern Tibet, and a no-fly zone has been drawn” wrote Dapeng Guardianship Thousand House.
We have learned from media reports that there were two to three airspace violations by the PLA Air Force in the last few weeks. Tensions in Arunachal Pradesh aren’t just restricted to land. Even the airspace has heated up.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has characterised the clash as an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo at LAC. India’s military and diplomatic establishment can no longer assume that the border tensions will be resolved through bilateral negotiations. The Indian military and civilian establishment may have to prepare for a cross-sector strategy to thwart both ‘gray-zone’ and large-scale ingress that have just been witnessed in Arunachal Pradesh.
The water of Brahmaputra will not pass under the bridge of India-China divide anytime soon.
The author is a columnist and a freelance journalist. He was previously a China media journalist at the BBC World Service. He tweets @aadilbrar. Views are personal.
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)