Han Zheng (M), Chinese Vice Prime Minister, lights the torch before the start of the Olympic torch relay. Photo: Sam McNeil/AP/dpa. (Source: dpa)
Beijing (AP) – Among the participants in the torch relay for the Winter Olympics in Beijing was a Chinese officer honored as a “hero” who was involved in a controversial border incident with India.
Commander Qi Fabao suffered serious head injuries in the first fatal clash between border troops from the two Asian rivals in 45 years. His performance as a torch bearer caused irritation in India.
The June 2020 clashes on the disputed border in the Himalayas had led to serious tensions between India and China. According to information from New Delhi, 20 Indian soldiers were killed, while Beijing initially gave no information about its own victims. Only six months later, in January 2021, was it officially announced that four Chinese soldiers had been killed. They were immediately declared “communist martyrs,” and commander Qi Fabao and other Chinese participants were honored as heroes.
After his recovery, commander Qi Fabao was quoted by state media in December as saying, “I am ready to return to the battlefield and fight again.” His participation in the torch relay met with incomprehension in India. Some Indian media saw it as part of a Chinese propaganda offensive against India. Both sides accuse each other of crossing the border and causing the incident.
India, which is not a winter sports nation, has only one athlete participating in the Beijing Games: 31-year-old Kashmiri skier Arif Khan.