JAISWAL
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,527
- Likes
- 1,027
Fifty years after their brief war in the Himalayas in 1962, India and China have agreed to resume joint military exercises that were suspended in 2009 after editions in 2007 and 2008.
The decision to move forward was reached when an Indian delegation led by Secretary of Defence S. K. Sharma held its Annual Defence Dialogue in Beijing on January 14th.
"The two sides agreed upon a plan of bilateral military exchanges for 2013, including their next joint military exercise," Indian Ministry for External Affairs spokesperson S. Akbaruddin told Khabar South Asia.
The news is being hailed throughout South Asia as improved relations between the two countries are likely to spawn greater stability and promote socioeconomic development in the region.
Former Bangladeshi diplomat Farooq Sobhan, one of the most widely respected experts on South Asia, called the development "historic".
Former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and present opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told Khabar that his country "looks forward to an era of greater stability in the region".
"We are hopeful that the coming together of the two big nations of Asia and their ability to bury the past will have profound implications on socio-economic development for the world's poorest," he said.
Sushma Swaraj, opposition leader in the lower house of India's Parliament, voiced similar sentiments."If the armies of our two great countries forge an understanding the future generations are assured of peace and stability," he said. "The more immediate effect will be the sinking of competition for control in the Indian Ocean region. Much bad blood has flowed; it's time to begin anew for the sake of the future."
Bangladesh views benefits
Sobhan said Dhaka-Delhi ties are at an unprecedented upswing at the present time while Bangladesh long has had excellent ties with China.
"Improvement in Sino-Indian defence ties can be viewed by Bangladesh as a major step forward in facilitating co-operation between China and India in the construction of a deep sea port in Sonadia, located close to the sea resort of Cox's Bazar," he told Khabar.
He said there are "several areas" where Bangladesh, China and India could work together.
"However, the key to any co-operation is trust and confidence between China and India. It is from this perspective that Bangladesh should explore the possibility of joining these exercises – if not immediately then in the very near future," he said.
The official Nepalese reaction to the announcement is still awaited. Former Indian Ambassador to Nepal G. K. Shankar said, "This country is undergoing major transition and the Beijing-supportive Communist Party of Nepal wields considerable influence. We are hopeful that Kathmandu-Delhi ties, which are now under considerable stress, will get a boost following the Sino-Indian breakthrough."
Border issue still thorny
Despite the upbeat response, serious hurdles still remain for both India and China. Topping the list is the long-standing border dispute, which centres on three big strips of territory along the Himalayas totalling about 4,000km. China also disputes India's rights over the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Bishwambher Pyakuryal, an economics professor at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan University, said he does not expect a breakthrough. Dialogue on the issue has been a "fruitless effort for 51 years", he told Khabar.
Nevertheless, he added, the new accord is likely to yield benefits for regional stability.
"In the past, India's suspicion about China's strategic relations with her arch-rival Pakistan and China's reservations about Indian military and economic activities in the disputed South China Sea led to the collapse of military exercises," Pyakuryal said. "But now things could become business as usual. Both countries may gain provided that both agree on maintaining 'harmonious co-existence' for regional security and stability".
.
.
.
India-China military deal generates positive reaction in South Asia - khabarsouthasia.com
The decision to move forward was reached when an Indian delegation led by Secretary of Defence S. K. Sharma held its Annual Defence Dialogue in Beijing on January 14th.
"The two sides agreed upon a plan of bilateral military exchanges for 2013, including their next joint military exercise," Indian Ministry for External Affairs spokesperson S. Akbaruddin told Khabar South Asia.
The news is being hailed throughout South Asia as improved relations between the two countries are likely to spawn greater stability and promote socioeconomic development in the region.
Former Bangladeshi diplomat Farooq Sobhan, one of the most widely respected experts on South Asia, called the development "historic".
Former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and present opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told Khabar that his country "looks forward to an era of greater stability in the region".
"We are hopeful that the coming together of the two big nations of Asia and their ability to bury the past will have profound implications on socio-economic development for the world's poorest," he said.
Sushma Swaraj, opposition leader in the lower house of India's Parliament, voiced similar sentiments."If the armies of our two great countries forge an understanding the future generations are assured of peace and stability," he said. "The more immediate effect will be the sinking of competition for control in the Indian Ocean region. Much bad blood has flowed; it's time to begin anew for the sake of the future."
Bangladesh views benefits
Sobhan said Dhaka-Delhi ties are at an unprecedented upswing at the present time while Bangladesh long has had excellent ties with China.
"Improvement in Sino-Indian defence ties can be viewed by Bangladesh as a major step forward in facilitating co-operation between China and India in the construction of a deep sea port in Sonadia, located close to the sea resort of Cox's Bazar," he told Khabar.
He said there are "several areas" where Bangladesh, China and India could work together.
"However, the key to any co-operation is trust and confidence between China and India. It is from this perspective that Bangladesh should explore the possibility of joining these exercises – if not immediately then in the very near future," he said.
The official Nepalese reaction to the announcement is still awaited. Former Indian Ambassador to Nepal G. K. Shankar said, "This country is undergoing major transition and the Beijing-supportive Communist Party of Nepal wields considerable influence. We are hopeful that Kathmandu-Delhi ties, which are now under considerable stress, will get a boost following the Sino-Indian breakthrough."
Border issue still thorny
Despite the upbeat response, serious hurdles still remain for both India and China. Topping the list is the long-standing border dispute, which centres on three big strips of territory along the Himalayas totalling about 4,000km. China also disputes India's rights over the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Bishwambher Pyakuryal, an economics professor at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan University, said he does not expect a breakthrough. Dialogue on the issue has been a "fruitless effort for 51 years", he told Khabar.
Nevertheless, he added, the new accord is likely to yield benefits for regional stability.
"In the past, India's suspicion about China's strategic relations with her arch-rival Pakistan and China's reservations about Indian military and economic activities in the disputed South China Sea led to the collapse of military exercises," Pyakuryal said. "But now things could become business as usual. Both countries may gain provided that both agree on maintaining 'harmonious co-existence' for regional security and stability".
.
.
.
India-China military deal generates positive reaction in South Asia - khabarsouthasia.com
