After 7 years Chinese Defence Minister’s India visit on Sep 2

After a hiatus of seven years Chinese Defence Minister General Liang Guanglie will come to India on four-day visit, indicating a thawing of bilateral military relationship that hit an impediment as in July 2010 Beijing denied visa to an Indian Army’s Commander posted in Kashmir. 

 

 

The Chinese Defence Minister’s India visit come shortly before the once-in-decade leadership transition in the country, when the 71-year-old General Guanglie will have to step aside. This is the most high profile defence exchange between the two countries since 2005.

The Chinese Defence Minister will land in Mumbai on September 2 with a 24-member delegation. This former Chief of General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army’s will visit Gandhi Museum in Mumbai and will head to see the famous Taj Mahal before reaching the national capital to hold discussions with his Indian counterpart AK Antony.

This Indo-China defence ties had reached a stage when the two countries had even started joint-military exercises. However, reflecting the deeper on and off nature of the Indo-China defence ties, New Delhi suspended further engagements in July 2010 as Beijing refused to grant visa to the Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General BS Jaswal reasoning that he was posted to “sensitive” Jammu and Kashmir region. It was followed by similar incidents, when China continued to prick India’s stated position on Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh by refusing visa to defence personnels and sportspersons from the region.

“The talks will hover around how to strengthen the military ties between the two countries who share nearly 3,300 km of disputed yet peaceful border. No exercises have been planned this year, so the thrust of the talks with the Defence Minister are likely to hover around need of these exercises future,” sources said.

There has been renewed interest in China to give a fresh impetus to the dithering military ties as made evident by the PLA hosting an Indian Military delegation and taking them to Tibet bordering northern India. China has been sensitive about opening up Tibet military bases to India in the past.

China has also been keen to increase the number of defence attaches posted in each others’ countries. Presently, only one Defence Attaché is posted by both countries to capitals, Beijing has suggested to permanent post one representative each of the army, air force and navy in each others’ embassies.

Besides a disputed land border, both the countries also have overlapping strategic interests in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean Region. An ugly stand-off was averted earlier this year, when a Chinese warship threatened an Indian warship in the South China Sea while on its way back from Vietnam. To avoid any misunderstandings in the region, both the countries have decided to set up maritime hotlines just on the basis of the arrangement on the land.