India end freeze on high-level defence exchanges with China

During the 8220;very productive,warm and friendly8221; meeting,Singh and Hu launched the 8216;Year of India-China Exchanges in 20118217;,National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon told reporters.

As part of the measure,there will be a series of visits including one by an Indian military delegation to China besides exchange of visits by senior political leaders. Strategic economic dialogues will be held,official consultations and people-to-people contacts will also take place,he said.

8220;It has been agreed that a multi-command Indian military delegation will visit China later this year,8221; Menon said.

Sources said the delegation could visit as early as June and is expected to be headed by a Corps Commander level officer of the rank of Lt General.

The decision to send a military delegation to China marks an end to the freeze on high-level defence exchanges by India after the then Northern Army Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal was denied a proper visa in July last year for travel to Beijing because he served in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian decision comes amid apparent moves by China to reverse its two-year policy of giving stapled visas to people hailing from Jammu and Kashmir.

The NSA,however,insisted that the defence exchanges were never frozen as levels of communications at various levels,including at border commander level,were maintained.

He said the two countries will be discussing further exchanges and visits during the year.

To a question,Menon said the issue of stapled visas was not discussed during the meeting between Singh and Hu as 8220;work8221; is in progress in this regard.

In his opening remarks at the meeting,Singh told Hu that India was 8220;keen to expand areas of cooperation8221; with China.

8220;I wish to reaffirm the desire to strengthen strategic and economic partnership with China in every possible way,8221; the Prime Minister said.

As the two leaders greeted each other warmly,Singh pointed out to Hu that they had met a number of times,including on the sidelines of G-20 and BRIC Summits.

Hu said it was pleasure to meet Singh and that he looked forward to exchanging views on bilateral and international issues of mutual interest.

Menon said during the meeting,the two sides had reached an in-principle agreement for setting up working Mechanism for Consultations and Coordination on Border Affairs to handle maintenance of peace and tranquility along the boundary.

The mechanism at official-level,he explained,will explore the areas of cooperation in border areas like border trade and movement.

Menon said as part of increased exchanges,a number of high level visits will take place to China during this year.

While reviewing the bilateral relations,Singh and Hu expressed satisfaction at the steady growth of relations,Menon said.

Singh and Hu took stock of trade and economic relations and were convinced that these were on track to achieving the USD 100 billion by 2015.

Talking about trade imbalance,the Prime Minister sought better access for Indian goods in Chinese markets,particularly in IT,pharma and engineering sectors.

The Chinese President agreed that trade imbalance was a serious issue and said a series of measures were being taken to address it.

In this context,the two sides will be holding strategic economic dialogue.

At the meeting,the Prime Minister invited Hu to visit India who accepted and said a mutually-convenient date would be worked out. The Chinese President also invited Singh for a bilateral visit which was accepted.