India, China move towards holding joint military exercises

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1691480.ece

Months after suspending the high-level defence exchanges, India appears to be moving to resume military manoeuvres with China as indications emerged on Tuesday that the two countries could be holding joint exercises in the near future.

The indications emerged on the eve of the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Sanya and amid apparent Chinese moves to reverse its two-year-old policy of granting stapled visas to Indian nationals hailing from Jammu and Kashmir.

"The joint exercises would be held," a source said here when asked whether the military exercises will resume.

The source pointed out that some level of defence contact like border flag meeting had always been maintained even after high-level military exchanges were suspended after the Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal was given a visa on a loose sheet because he was serving in the State.

On the stapled visa issue, the sources noted that there was some movement but India will have to wait and watch how things evolve.

They said the two countries will have to work quietly on this without making any announcements.

China had in 2008 started the practice of issuing visas on loose sheets of paper to people from Jammu and Kashmir, which was seen here as questioning India's sovereignty over the State.

This had been an irritant in bilateral relations and the matter had snowballed into a major controversy last July after the Jaswal episode.

The Prime Minister had taken up the stapled visa issue with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Vietnam in October last year when they had met on the sidelines of ASEAN Summit.

The issue was again raised in December with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao when he visited here.

The sources pointed out that political and economic relations between India and China had been growing and that the borders were also calm.

On the building of infrastructure by China along its borders with India, the sources said India was also doing so on its side of the border to catch up with its eastern neighbours.

It was pointed out that 78 road projects were expected to be completed by India by 2012 and all but eight would be finished on time. The remaining eight will take a little longer.

Dr. Singh and Mr. Hu will meet in Sanya on Wednesday and are expected to discuss furthering bilateral relations.

 

[civfanatic]

I wonder what type of exercises these would be?

I would guess anti-terrorism and SF?

 

[Nonynon]

Whatever the exercises are, I'm happy to see India and China breaking some distance.

 

[chex3009]

India must not put forward any elite force or any top-notch warriors in exercise with the Chinese, our new recruits must be sent in for exercise with them.

We don't need to show what actually we got for them just yet.....!!!!

 

[sandeepdg]

I wonder what type of exercises these would be?

I would guess anti-terrorism and SF?

They have had such exercises before, no big deal.

 

[SADAKHUSH]

I am just wondering if Chinese troops can speak a common language in order to communicate. In order to fight nations rarely use Army. What two nations are going to gain from these exercises.

 

[Tshering22]

I am just wondering if Chinese troops can speak a common language in order to communicate. In order to fight nations rarely use Army. What two nations are going to gain from these exercises.

I don't think language should be a problem because we do wargames with Russians as well and except senior commanders, no common soldier knows jack in Hindi or English. But still the exercises work out really well. Guess soldiers worldwide have some basic instincts that automatically tell them what to do in a given situation, easing language barriers.

However, I don't like the concept of military wargames with Chinese. Ceremonial good talks are one thing, but this is taking too far.

Wonder whether UPA is really that demented or has it indeed gone potty... this comes at a time when the Reds are creating problems in Ladakh.

 

[SADAKHUSH]

I don't think language should be a problem because we do war games with Russians as well and except senior commanders, no common soldier knows jack in Hindi or English. But still the exercises work out really well. Guess soldiers worldwide have some basic instincts that automatically tell them what to do in a given situation, easing language barriers.

However, I don't like the concept of military war games with Chinese. Ceremonial good talks are one thing, but this is taking too far.



Wonder whether UPA is really that demented or has it indeed gone potty... this comes at a time when the Reds are creating problems in Ladakh.

I agree with you good talks have not yielded any positive result for India so far. Since we have carried out exercise with several countries in the past and have ongoing plans to hold many more, What does Army of each participating nation gain from it? Is it done to learn the capabilities of each other or is it just a public relationship to build cordial relationship between the Armed Forces?

Since we are discussing the joint exercise, It is also in the news that China and Pakistan are holding joint exercise on Rajasthan border. Is it not about time for India to negotiate with Myanmar and other nation in South East Asia who share border with China to hold military, air force and navy exercise on regular basis. This will keep them on their toes and will have to rethink their Pakistan strategy in a long run.