The Hindu : New Delhi News : Army plans joint exercises with PLA in China

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Wednesday, Aug 08, 2007
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New Delhi

Army plans joint exercises with PLA in China

Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI: The Army would hold joint exercises with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Chinese soil for the first time in October-November this year, it was decided at a planning conference of both armies.

Army sources said the two-week exercises would be held in the Chengdu military region, which oversees border security with India among other countries, and about 60 Indian Army military personnel would take part.

Though both sides had held a few naval exercises of a preliminary nature, the Army manoeuvres were firmed up four years after India expressed interest in this direction.

Closer ties

The exercises would include capsules for combating trans-national terrorism and joint command and control structures. As part of the move to build closer ties between the two armies, India had offered the PLA officers courses in training establishments of the Indian Army. Joint adventure activities were also in the offing, said the sources.

The exercises, to take place in the Malang Training Area of Yunan Province, were firmed up during the then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to China last year with the signing of a defence accord to institutionalise training, exercises and other contacts between the defence forces.

This was followed up with a visit by the Chief of the Army Staff, J. J. Singh, during which he proposed finalisation of details.

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