Military drills set to resume with India
Source: Agencies |
September 5, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
India and China plan to restart joint military exercises soon, signaling a thaw in military ties.
On the first trip by a Chinese defense minister to New Delhi in eight years, General Liang Guanglie and his Indian counterpart AK Antony yesterday discussed security in the Asia-Pacific region, where India's competition for resources and influence has added to Chinese concerns about the US pivot to Asia.
"We have reached the very important consensus of further promoting the friendly, strategic and cooperated partnership between the two countries and promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two armed forces," Liang told reporters.
Antony said the military exercises will resume "at the earliest," but didn't give any timeline. After two rounds that started in 2007, joint military exercises of around 100 personnel were suspended in 2010 after China denied a visa to an Indian general working in the disputed Kashmir region.
Indian and Chinese ships conducted their first joint naval practices in June, but they were not considered part of the regular joint military exercises.
Antony also said he had accepted an invitation to visit Beijing.
The ministers also decided to hold high-level official exchanges, conduct joint maritime search and rescue exercises, and strengthen anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.
They said they agreed closer military ties help deepen trust and friendship between the two countries, after talks in New Delhi.
Liang sought to calm India's fears about Chinese military and infrastructure aid to other countries in the region, and he denied rumors of a Chinese army presence in parts of Pakistan claimed by India.
Liang and Antony also discussed progress in a long-running border dispute in the Himalayas that led to a brief war in 1962.
"The Chinese side is willing to work together with the Indian side to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the China-India border areas," Liang said.
Both China and India say they are committed to attaining prosperity via peaceful means. Business relations are booming and trade flows have reached an annual US$75.5 billion, up from just US$3 billion a decade ago.
On the first trip by a Chinese defense minister to New Delhi in eight years, General Liang Guanglie and his Indian counterpart AK Antony yesterday discussed security in the Asia-Pacific region, where India's competition for resources and influence has added to Chinese concerns about the US pivot to Asia.
"We have reached the very important consensus of further promoting the friendly, strategic and cooperated partnership between the two countries and promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two armed forces," Liang told reporters.
Antony said the military exercises will resume "at the earliest," but didn't give any timeline. After two rounds that started in 2007, joint military exercises of around 100 personnel were suspended in 2010 after China denied a visa to an Indian general working in the disputed Kashmir region.
Indian and Chinese ships conducted their first joint naval practices in June, but they were not considered part of the regular joint military exercises.
Antony also said he had accepted an invitation to visit Beijing.
The ministers also decided to hold high-level official exchanges, conduct joint maritime search and rescue exercises, and strengthen anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.
They said they agreed closer military ties help deepen trust and friendship between the two countries, after talks in New Delhi.
Liang sought to calm India's fears about Chinese military and infrastructure aid to other countries in the region, and he denied rumors of a Chinese army presence in parts of Pakistan claimed by India.
Liang and Antony also discussed progress in a long-running border dispute in the Himalayas that led to a brief war in 1962.
"The Chinese side is willing to work together with the Indian side to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the China-India border areas," Liang said.
Both China and India say they are committed to attaining prosperity via peaceful means. Business relations are booming and trade flows have reached an annual US$75.5 billion, up from just US$3 billion a decade ago.
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