Chinese Allege Blitzkrieg Plan

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32068, 16 August 1969, Page 13

Chinese Allege Blitzkrieg Plan

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

HONG KONG, August 15. The Soviet Union has remained silent on the latest border clash between Soviet and Chinese troops, but China has alleged that the Russians are preparing a “blitzkrieg.”

The only hint of concern discernible in the official Soviet Union press yesterday was a long article in “Pravda” about a civil defence campaign in Kazakhstan, the Soviet border province. Soviet readers were informed of the latest battle through the form of yesterday’s protest Note to the Chinese Government —printed on the inside pages of nearly all newspapers. Both Russia and China have accused each other of starting the battle, the fifth and perhaps most serious so far. Both have also given contradictory accounts of it. The Chinese protest Note accused the Russians of wanton provocation, saying that hundreds of Russian troops, backed by tanks, armoured cars and helicopters had invaded Chinese territory, killing and wounding many Chinese border guards. The official Russian version is that Chinese troops intruded into Soviet territory in the wild, arid border country and opened fire on Soviet troops, who retaliated and chased them back. The Soviet Note said there were an unspecified number of dead and wounded in the clash, and that two Chinese servicemen were taken prisoner, the first such claim since the border situation flared up in March. A commentary broadcast by Radio Peking said: “Military leaders of the Soviet revisionist clique have been rushing

into print with articles in many newspapers and journals, boasting like Hitler in the past years about a blitzkrieg war, frenziedly shouting that they want to have a sudden attack without warning. “If the Soviets are so diehard about following the old path of Hitler and the Japanese fascists, the only reward is a shameful ending as those fascists.” The broadcast, however, made no mention of any further fighting along the SinoSoviet border since a bloody battle on Wednesday in which both sides suffered casualties.