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Indian army chief’s China visit lauded by PLA
July 3, 2014, 11:14 am

Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Fan Changlong (R) meets with Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh,, in Beijing, capital of China, July 3, 2014 [Xinhua]

Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Fan Changlong (R) meets with Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh,, in Beijing, capital of China, July 3, 2014 [Xinhua]

Chief of the General Staff of China’s People’s Liberation Army, Fang Fenghui said on Tuesday that the Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh’s first official visit to China will deepen defense cooperation between Asia’s two militaries.

“Your visit is the first senior military delegation since the formation of Indian’s new government. It reflects the great importance India attaches to bilateral relations,” Fang said.

Singh is on a four-day official visit to China and will be meeting top Chinese military leaders and the Chinese Vice President.

“India attaches the highest priority to the relations with China, and committed to further developing friendly and cooperative relations with your country,” Gen. Bikram Singh told Fang on Thursday in Beijing.

The two army chiefs discussed “maintenance of peace on the border, maritime cooperation, interactions between the armed forces, and issues relating to global security”, said Xinhua.

Border security measures was on top of the agenda and although differences remained on the historical border dispute, the two sides have “reached an initial consensus on the framework to reach a final solution to the border issue”, official sources were quoted by the Chinese state-owned agency.

The two countries fought a brief border war in 1962. China lays claim to more than 90,000 sq km disputed by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas.

Holding joint military exercises is being seen as an important step in confidence building, especially along the Line of Actual Control, as the unsettled border is called. China and India have agreed to resume anti-terror military exercises and there are plans to expand military exchanges in other fields.

 

Source: Agencies