Defence minister in Beijing to open new China chapter

Travelling with Fernandes are defence secretary Subir Dutta, secretary for defence production N S Sisodia, additional secretary Pratyush Sinha and joint secretaries Arvind Joshi and Gautam Mukhopadhya.

The 16-member delegation also includes vice chief of army staff Lt Gen Shantonu Chowdhury, deputy air chief Air Marshal Raghu Rajan, who is in charge of acquisitions, assistant naval chief Rear Admiral Ajit Tiwari and joint secretary (China) in the ministry of external affairs Nalin Surie.

On the agenda are rounds of discussions for reviewing the New Delhi-Beijing relationship in the aftermath of the Iraq war. It is understood that the two sides will discuss the US-UK intervention in light of the once-proposed trilateral axis — a strategic tie-up between India, China and Russia.

While both sides have decided to steer clear of the border issue, leaving it to the joint working group, Pakistan will be discussed. At least Fernandes will raise India’s concerns in this regard and Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism with the Chinese leadership. Though China is a major Pakistan ally, the exercise will be an effort to gauge the Chinese strategic interests in the region.

Experts on both sides will also be keeping tabs when the Indian defence minister addresses the Chinese National Defence University — the alma mater of the higher echelons of the People’s Liberation Army. The accompanying senior Indian military officials will hold discussions with their Chinese counterparts in a bid to raise military-to-military liaison or explore the possibility of small tactical level joint exercises.

While Fernandes will be laying the grounds for a possible visit by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Beijing later this year, he will also be keen to brush away his image as a ‘‘China-baiter’’.

An image that he has battled ever since he was quoted citing the Chinese as India’s greatest worry in the aftermath of Pokhran-II.

Fernandes will hold talks with his counterpart and host Cao Gangchuan and visit military installations around Beijing and Shanghai during his week-long trip.

The defence minister will also call upon former President Jiang Zemin, Premier Wen Jiabao and other senior Chinese leaders.