New Delhi, August 29: While China is yet to officially admit the loss of lives on its side in the fatal clashes that erupted with Indian troops in Galwan in mid-June, a picture of "tombstone" has went viral on Chinese social media. The text in Mandarin on the tombstone reads that the person buried beneath was a People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldier killed in Galwan during clashes with Indian military personnel.

The picture was uploaded on Weibo, the Chinese alternative of Twitter, and went viral with scores of users of the country sharing it. The authorities are yet to officially react to the viral image. The users of Weibo largely refrained from doubting its authenticity. Varun Gandhi Says ‘India Only Country Able to Stare Down China, Chinese Will Realise Their Strategic Mistake’.

"Tomb of Chen Xiangro. He was sacrificed in the struggle against India's border troops in June 2020 and was posthumously remembered by the Central Military Commission," read the text on the tombstone which was written in Mandarin.

A number of Weibo users, according to reports, also claimed that Xiangro may had not been killed in Galwan but in Pangong Tso - where the Indian and Chinese soldiers were locked up in a brief physical clash in May this year.

The PLA, which has so far maintained absolute secrecy on the casualties it incurred in the face-offs with India, is yet to confirm whether the tomb of Xiangro, as seen in the viral image, exists.

Notably, 20 Indian soldiers including commanding officer Colonel Santosh Babu were killed in a physical fight that erupted between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Galwan Valley on the intervening night of June 15-16.

While the Chinese side remained tight-lipped on the PLA losses, news agency ANI had, citing sources, claimed that 43 casualties were incurred by China which includes fatalities.

Since the Galwan flare-up, the Indian and Chinese sides are engaging in a series of talks to resolve the tensions. Both sides are locked in negotiations to achieve complete disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2020 02:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).