New Delhi: After a break of one year, India is set to restore full defence cooperation with China, with a visit by a high-level military delegation there next
month.
The decision to resume defence cooperation with China
was arrived at during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s visit
to Beijing in April this year.
"The delegation would be led by a Major General Rank
officer from Northern Command. The issues to be discussed are
being finalised," Army officials said here.
They further added that Maj Gen Gurmeet Singh, General
Officer Commanding (GOC) of Delta Force, would lead the
delegation. His name has been cleared by Beijing.
Delta Force takes care of militancy-infested areas of
Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir.
As part of the renewed defence cooperation, a series of
interactions are being planned between the defence forces of
two nations.
During Singh`s visit, the two countries also agreed on
visits by senior political leaders, holding of strategic
economic dialogue, official consultations and people-to-people
contacts.
The decision to send a military delegation to China
marks an end to the freeze on high-level defence exchanges by
India after the then Northern Army Commander Lt Gen BS Jaswal
was denied a proper visa in July last year for travel to
Beijing because he served in Jammu and Kashmir.
India called off defence exchanges last year after
China refused visa to Gen Jaswal on the ground that he headed
troops in Jammu and Kashmir.
China apparently started issuing stapled visas to
residents of J&K since 2008 on the ground that it is a
"disputed" territory for which India raised vociferous
objections.
PTI
