China lost at least 40 soldiers in border clash: VK Singh

China lost at least 40 of its soldiers in the violent clash in Galwan Valley in the western Himalayas, VK Singh, the minister for roads and transport, said on Saturday

China has not said anything about the casualties in the hand-to-hand combat in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.

"If 20 were martyred on our (Indian) side, then there would have been at least double the casualties on their (China) side," V.K.Singh, the minister for roads and transport, told TV News24 in an interview broadcast late on Saturday.

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Singh, who is a former army chief, said China historically never accepted any war casualties including in the 1962 conflict with India.

China's state-controlled Global Times said earlier there had been casualties on the Chinese side but did not elaborate.

Singh said the Indian side had handed over Chinese troops who had strayed into Indian territory after the violent standoff.

USSecretary of State Mike Pompeo has criticised China for escalating border tensions with India.