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India, China to resume joint military
exercises
Tuesday September 04, 2012 10:15:34 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi: India and
China Tuesday agreed to resume joint military exercises at the
earliest and boost security ties in the border areas, a source of
occasional friction between the two Asian powers.
Gen Liang Guanglie, the first Chinese defence minister to visit
India in eight years, also sought to assuage Indian concerns over
China's attempts to increase its military and diplomatic footprint
in South Asia.
The two sides also focused on building strategic trust in ties
that are prone to hiccups, and agreed to boost confidence-building
measures against the projected scenarios of rivalry in the
Asia-Pacific sphere.
The decision to resume joint military exercises, stalled in 2010
due to a diplomatic spat over visa issues, was announced after
90-minutes of talks between Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Gen
Liang.
"We have reached important consensus on strategic issues and for
cooperation in promoting friendly ties, including between our
armed forces," Gen. Liang, on a four-day visit to India, told
reporters.
He spoke through an interpreter outside the defence ministry.
He added the two sides had also reached agreement on exchanges
between their militaries, including high-level visits, between
officers and also between their navies besides maritime security
cooperation.
India is understood to have conveyed its concerns over the
increased activities of Chinese troops in Pakistani Kashmir.
Liang is understood to have assuaged India's fears and clarified
that the People's Liberation Army has not deployed any soldier in
Pakistan-held Kashmir.
The shifting geopolitical regional dynamics figured prominently in
the discussions.
"We covered a lot about the situation in the South Asia,
Asia-Pacific regions and we have covered a lot of issues," Antony
said.
"We had a very frank and heart-to-heart discussions on all the
issues... including in the border areas."
Terming the talks as "very fruitful and candid," Antony said he
has accepted an invitation by Liang to visit Beijing next year.
"We have decided (to resume army-to-army exercises) and I have
also accepted the invitation to visit China next year."
Antony added that the two countries discussed way to improve
relations in the border areas and the situation in South Asia and
Asia Pacific regions.
"It was agreed to conduct the next round of joint military
exercises at the earliest," the Indian defence ministry said.
"They also agreed to strengthen border security cooperation
between the border troops so as to enhance and maintain peace and
tranquility in the India-China border areas," a ministry statement
said.
Joint military exercises between India and China started in 2007
but paused in 2010 after diplomatic spats over visa issues.
Their first joint military exercise was held in Kunming in China
in 2007, followed by a second edition in Belgaum in India in 2008.
India suspended all bilateral defence exercises after Beijing
denied visa to then Northern Army Commander, Lt. Gen. B.S Jaswal,
on grounds that he was posted in Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed
area claimed by Pakistan.
The military ties resumed late last year with both sides
underlining the need for building greater strategic trust.
The two ministers focused on greater confidence building measures
and coordination among their militaries in the border areas, where
China has built massive infrastructure on its side of the
frontier.
China is understood to have allayed Delhi's concerns over
Beijing's military infrastructure build-up along the border and
stressed on greater cooperation to avoid misunderstandings.
Liang's visit comes barely weeks before once-in-a-year leadership
transition gets under way in Beijing.
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