Army Chief visits Malaysia, Philippines

The tour is also being seen in the context of China8217;s growing influence in the region and, in particular, Beijing8217;s 8220;aggressive wooing8221; of Cambodia. Officials have termed the visit 8220;military support to international diplomacy8221;.

On the anti-terror front, the two sides have agreed to 8220;enhance bilateral exchanges8221; in training centres and academies after Kapoor8217;s visits to the Southeast Asia Regional Centre of Counter-Terrorism in Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysian 8220;Army Combat Training Centre8221;.

A formula to increase military-level discussions has also been worked out during the visit. 8220;Both sides have agreed to hold dedicated Army-to-Army Staff talks to work out specific details of expanding cooperation between the two Armies. They have also agreed to share experiences and work together in the fields of counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, disaster relief, training and maintenance of defence equipment,8221; an Army statement said.

Defence ties with Malaysia took off after Antony8217;s visit to the nation last month during which an agreement was signed to send Indian Air Force pilots and technicians to the country for training Malaysian pilots on their newly- acquired Su-30 fighters. A technical team from Malaysia is already in India and is undergoing training on maintenance and upkeep of the fighter fleet.