India and China have their first deadly clashes in 45 years
Bloodshed on the border marks a turning point in relations between Asia’s giants
THE TWO armies each had machineguns, artillery and tanks to the rear. But they wielded only sticks and stones at the front, as night fell on June 15th. That was deadly enough. When the brawl ended, and the last rocks had been thrown, at least 20 Indian troops lay dead or dying in the picturesque Galwan valley, high in the mountains of Ladakh. Chinese casualties are unknown. These were the first combat deaths on the border between India and China in 45 years, ending an era in which Asia’s two largest powers had managed their differences without bloodshed.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Death valley”
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