Shanghai, Nov 09: Three Indian naval ships are scheduled to arrive here tomorrow to take part in the first-ever Sino-Indian joint naval exercise, signalling a new high in bilateral ties, especially in the military field. "All arrangements for the search and rescue exercise are going on smoothly and the ships are due to arrive on Monday," an official source told reporters here in the gleaming east Chinese city.
The exercises, off the Shanghai coast on November 14, were aimed at ensuring the safety of maritime trade and improving coordination in search and rescue at sea.
The joint maritime rescue operation is a cooperation between the two countries in non-traditional security field, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said, adding that china has conducted various forms of cooperation with many other countries in those fields, which are of significance to the development of bilateral relations.
"The exercise will help establish more mutual trust and confidence between the two navies amid fast-paced changes in the international scenario," an analyst said. He also noted that the search and rescue drill assumes added significance as navigation in the south china sea and the neighbouring Malacca Straits has been plagued by sea piracy, a serious issue confronting commercial liners.
Bureau Report