Beijing: Days after India and China agreed
to have maritime cooperation, Beijing has favoured greater
military ties with New Delhi, saying such exchanges would help
build more "confidence and trust" between the two countries.
"Exchanges between our militaries will help us build more
confidence and trust with each other," Deputy Director General
of Asian Department in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Sun Weidong said.
His remarks came ahead of President Hu Jintao`s visit to
New Delhi from Wednesday to participate in the fourth
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit.
"Our military people are positive about military
cooperation and exchange of visits with India. I think China
and India are strategic partners...military exchanges and
cooperation are part of the partnership," Sun said.
India had suspended military exchanges with China in
August 2010 after it refused to grant permission to a senior
army commander posted at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir to
proceed on an official trip to Beijing.
As an immediate fallout of the event, India had refused
to hold the third round of military exercise, codenamed
Hand-in-Hand, with China and put all other military exchanges
on hold.
The first edition of the exercise had taken place in
Kunming in China in 2007 and the second was held in Belgaum in
2008.
Putting an end to the strained military relations, India
had sent a military delegation to Beijing in June last year.
China also reciprocated by sending its military delegation
under a Lieutenant General in last November.
PTI
