The Hindu : National : India proposes more interaction with Chinese Army

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 25, 2005

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National

India proposes more interaction with Chinese Army

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Signalling a further thaw in Sino-Indian military ties, India on Tuesday offered to step up interaction between the two armies. In talks with top Indian military officials, the chief of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), Liang Guanglie, was invited for the first time to send PLA officers to witness an Army exercise later this year.

An Indian Army officer was granted observer status at a PLA exercise in September last year. Gen. Liang also discussed the possibility of holding a joint naval exercise, the second such interaction between the two sides. The navies broke the ice when they conducted their first ever search and rescue exercise off the Shanghai coast in late 2003.

The military has also opened the doors of its training institutions and establishments for Gen. Liang and his 18-member delegation. On the anvil are visits to the headquarters of the elite 50th (Independent) Para Brigade, Western Naval Command and Southern Army Command as well as to the college of military engineering, the National Defence Academy and the United Services Institution (USI).

In the national capital, Gen. Liang after inspecting a guard of honour, held discussions with Chief of the Army Staff J. J. Singh, the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and Navy Chief Arun Prakash and the Chief of the Air Staff S. P. Tyagi.

He is scheduled to call on Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday.

The PLA chief was also given a presentation on India's security perspective, the command structure of the Indian armed forces and the application of information technology in the Indian Army.

At the USI on Wednesday, the PLA chief will interact with senior defence planners .

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