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China sees India as partner, says PLA expert

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: China and India "eye each other not as a threat but as a partner," according to Rear Admiral Yang Yi, Director of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Institute of Strategic Studies at China's National Defence University.

"Chinese Navy is happy to see Indian Navy develop."

Rear Adm. Yang Yi told The Hindu here on Thursday that "China can cooperate with Indian Navy in dealing with the traditional and non-traditional security threats" especially "if you are stronger, play important, active, and positive role in the region."

Emphasising that "India and China are two major powers in the region," the PLA expert said "we need further cooperation in the future, even further joint military exercises."

Asked whether the two could move towards joint exercises by their armies and air forces, given that the navies had already begun exercising together, he said "there is no political barrier, no political obstacle."

Striking a pragmatic note, he said: "The Navy exercises were much easier because, according to international law, navy is an international force. It is very easy to undertake joint naval exercise. For the ground forces, it is more complicated. For air forces, it is even more difficult."

Agreeing that joint military exercises at the levels of the armies and air forces of India and China could be considered, he said, "We have to start from the easy one and move to [the] complex one."

Bilateral military exercises would be "very conducive and positive to reduce miscalculations, misperceptions and improve mutual trust."

On the border issue, he said, "We are quite smart enough to find some solution beneficial to both sides."

The two countries were "very old civilisations" and the two Prime Ministers had already agreed upon political principles for the search for a settlement.

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