Border skirmish becomes battle of spin as Indian and Chinese soldiers turn to social media

Photos showing Indian soldiers purportedly brought down by PLA soldiers at a fist and stick fight circulated among Chinese military websites

WeChat and YouTube become new fighting arenas for soldiers but their governments are playing down Himalayan clashes

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A photo showing PLA troops after purportedly bringing down several Indian soldiers at a close-quarters fight at Pangong Lake border area with India, was circulated among Chinese military websites on Sunday. Photo: Handout

Published: 6:07pm, 1 Jun 2020Updated: 10:46pm, 1 Jun 2020

People’s Liberation Army soldiers and their Indian counterparts have moved their physical brawl over border disputes in the Himalayas to social media platforms as both their governments try to play down the fights.

A post with photos showing several Indian soldiers purportedly brought down by PLA soldiers in a fist and stick fight at the Pangong Lake border area with India was circulated among Chinese military websites on Sunday.

On the Chinese social media site WeChat, a Chinese soldier posted photos showing a number of Indian soldiers lying on the ground with a group of PLA soldiers standing nearby with sticks in their hands. The photos were accompanied by a Chinese caption saying the Chinese side “had just one injury but dozens of Indian soldiers were wounded”.

A screen grab of YouTube video in which Indian troops claimed to have captured a Chinese officer, who appeared hurt after a brawl at Pangong Lake in the Himalayas. Photo: Handout

The report was published one day after the Indian side posted a video on YouTube showing that Indian troops had captured a Chinese officer, who appeared badly roughed up during the brawl at Pangong Lake, about 4,350 metres (14,300 feet) above sea level in the Himalayas.

The YouTube video posted by someone on the Indian side did not state the time or date of the incident. Photo: Handout