After a gap of four years, India and China are ready to write a new chapter in its relationship as both have decided to resume a joint military exercise with boosting a confidence building measures in the sensitive border areas. The decision was taken during high delegation level talks with Indian Defence Minister A.K.Antony and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Liang Guanglie, who is on a four-day visit to India.
Gen. Liang told reporters,''We have reached important consensus on strategic issues and for cooperation in promoting friendly ties, including between our armed forces.''
He added the two sides had also reached agreement and consensus on exchanges between their militaries, including high-level visits, between officers and between their navies and also in maritime security cooperation.
On the occasion Indian Defence Minister Antony said, ''We covered a lot about the situation in the South Asia, Asia-Pacific region and we have covered a lot of issues,'' Antony said. ''We had a very frank and heart-to-heart discussion on all the issues... including in the border areas.''
It is noted that the joint military exercises between the two countries had started in 2007 but paused in 2010 after a slew of diplomatic spats over visa issues. The two Asian powers, which are often seen as rivals in the Asian hemisphere, held their first joint military exercise in Kunming in China in 2007, followed by a second edition in Belgaum in India in 2008.
India suspended all bilateral defence exercises with China after Beijing denied a visa to the then Northern Army Commander, Lt. Gen. B.S Jaswal on the grounds that he was posted Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed area which is claimed by Pakistan.
(With inputs from IANS)
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