Northern Army Commander Visits China to improve Military Ties

NEW DELHI: The armies of India and China have discussed ways of enhancing joint training and measures to spread peace at the border, besides speaking about regional security issues.

The issues were discussed during the ongoing visit of Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh to China. He is on a five day visit there since Tuesday.

Singh met the Commander of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) ground forces, General Han Weiguo. “The two Generals discussed issues having strategic ramifications to include regional security environment, joint training and measures to enhance peace and tranquility along the borders,” a statement issued by the army reads.

Singh is heading a high level military delegation, which will hold talks with top officials of the PLA. They will also visit important military and civil establishments in Beijing, Chengdu, Urumqi and Shanghai to exchange views on measures for furthering peace and tranquility between the two armies. Singh also visited the Western Theatre Command in Chengdu, which is responsible for the front with India. He met its commander, General Zhao Zongqi.

The visit comes close on the heels of the joint military exercise, ‘Hand-in Hand 2019’ held between the two armies in the Eastern Theatre in Meghalaya in December. “There has been a marked increase in mutual coordination between Armies of both the countries,” the army said.

“The visit will serve as a milestone by cementing the mutual ties between the two countries. This will achieve the twin aims of high level military cooperation and stabilizing the sensitive borders of both the countries,” the army said.

This visit comes in the backdrop of an ongoing naval exercise between Pakistan and China in the North Arabian Sea. The joint maritime exercise that began on Monday. The North Arabian Sea is strategically important for China as it is developing Pakistan’s deep water Gwadar port there. The Arabian Sea is important for India as well as several important ports are located there.

This is the second ever such visit by the Northern Army Commander to China. The earlier one was in December 2015 by the then Army Commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda. The two sides had stressed on the need to ensure peace and tranquility along the border. The need for strengthening the bilateral defence exchanges by increasing the frequency of interactions.

Even the then Eastern Army Commander led a delegation on a ‘goodwill visit to China in August 2018. It was the first such visit after the 2017 Doklam standoff between Indian and Chinese troops. Incidentally, Doklam falls under the purview of Eastern Command. The delegation visited four cities in China- Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Lhasa. The visit came after a high level Chinese military delegation visited India in July 2018. The delegation had visited Delhi, Agra and Sukna, where they interacted with their counterparts at the 33 Corps headquarters. The Corps is responsible for guarding the contentious Doklam region. Later the delegation went to Kolkata, where the headquarters of the Eastern Army Command is located.

Source: ET

Image Courtesy: Economic Times