The Hindu : National : Chinese Army chief to visit Indian military institutions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 20, 2005

National

National

Chinese Army chief to visit Indian military institutions

Special Correspondent

Chinese General expected to initiate process of mutual consultation

NEW DELHI: A month after India and China signed a protocol to improve defence ties, Chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Liang Guangli will tour the Indian military's commands and training institutions next week. This is the first visit by a PLA chief in seven years and reciprocates the one by the then Chief of Army Staff N. C. Vij late last year.

Official sources said Gen. Liang was on a ``routine ceremonial visit'' to the defence headquarters here, the Navy's Mumbai-based western command, the paratrooper training school in Agra and the National Defence Academy near Pune and that he would be extended the ``normal courtesies.''

But other Army sources drew attention to the protocol signed early this year on the modalities for implementing Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) in the military field along the Sino-India border. It provides for more visits by military officers and strengthening exchanges between institutions of training of the two armed forces.

The Chinese General is expected to utilise his visit to initiate the process of mutual consultations envisaged in the protocol, he said.

In addition, the two sides are also expected to touch upon the issue of expanding the mechanism of border meeting points to include one more in the eastern and middle sectors.

The visit would be helpful in beginning discussions on defining the precise meeting points in the two sectors.

Specific arrangements for increasing the number of meetings at the existing border meeting points also await discussion, added the officer.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National