NEW DELHI, May 20: India’s Army Chief Gen J.J. Singh will visit China this week with details of a proposal the two countries have agreed on for their first-ever joint army-level exercises, The Hindu said on Sunday.
Gen Singh will visit Beijing and several prominent People’s Liberation Army (PLA) establishments. The navies of the two countries have conducted preliminary exercises a couple of times but this is the first time the armies would practise anti-terrorism manoeuvres.
“In principle, the Chinese have agreed to the holding of such an exercise. During the visit, we hope to work out the details and whether the first-ever exercise would be held on Chinese or Indian soil,” Gen Singh said on Saturday on the eve of his visit. “Both armies are interested in expanding military-to-military ties,” he added.
The move to hold joint exercises, conducted with other militaries of “friendly countries,” will add another dimension to efforts to implement confidence-building measures to ensure peace on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, he said.
The process began in 1996 with the implementation of the agreement on confidence-building measures in the military field along the LAC and was bolstered by another pact in 2005. These led to the withdrawal of tanks, combat vehicles and anti-aircraft missiles from the vicinity of the LAC.
Gen Singh would be received by Chinese Vice-President Zeng Quinghong. He will call on Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in Beijing.
