US-INDIA GLOBAL REVIEW JUL-SEP 2020

O n June 17, two days after a deadly clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Ladhak's Galwan Valley, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a phone dialogue with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. The June 15, 2020 skirmish left 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer, dead, in a deadly hand-to-hand combat, the first of its kind in more than 50 years. Altogether, 76 Indian troops were wounded, Reuters reported quoting government sources. The clashes come after years of New Delhi grooming bilateral relations with the economic giant and expanding trade relations, where Chinese made goods have become a ubiquitous presence in India. They also come, ironically, in the midst of recent seemingly suc- cessful talks ongoing and after a June 6 agreement was reached on de-escalation and disengage- ment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). By Jan. 19, 2020, Beijing returned 10 soldiers cap- tured during the deadly border clash, an Indian government source told Reuters, but mean- while, in India, tempers were high with protests against China and calls for boycott of Chinese goods. Ground commanders had been meeting regularly to implement the June 6 consensus throughout the week before the June 15, 2020 clash, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs noted. But Beijing continued to build a "structure" on India's side of the LAC, which became a source of dispute, and the Chinese side "took pre-medi- tated and planned action" directly leading to the violence and casu- alties, New Delhi said. The clash- es took place on a loosely defined Demonstrators shout slogans as they burn an effigy depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping during a protest against China, in Kolkata, India, June 18, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri India-China Not "Bhai Bhai" INDIA-CHINA By Ela Dutt 8 US-INDIA GLOBAL REVIEW JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020 U.S. experts urge Trump to support India against Beijing's aggressive posturing on the Himalayan border