Friday, December 05, 2008

Military Exercise With India Not Aimed At Third Parties: China

Military Exercise With India Not Aimed At Third Parties: China (NSI News Source Info) BEIJING - December 5, 2008: Amid intense pressure on its "all weather" ally Pakistan to come clean on the Mumbai terror attacks, China said on Thursday that its impending joint anti-terror exercise with India had "no specified background and is not aimed at any third parties." "The time of the training was set previously and the joint training has no specified background and is not aimed at any third parties," Chinese Defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency here. An Indian division commander gives a thumb-up to a Chinese soldier after viewing a Chinese military exercise with live ammunition held in the Queshan Training Base in Henan Province, central China The militaries of India and China will hold their second joint anti-terror exercise code-named "Hand in Hand 2008" from Saturday in Belgaum district in Karnataka to enhance "mutual understanding and trust" between the armies of the two Asian giants. The two armies will each dispatch an infantry company to take part in the December 6-14 joint training. A 137-member-strong force from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) arrived at the training camp in Belgaum today. The joint training is intended to enhance mutual understanding and trust and advance the development of relations between the Chinese and Indian armies, he said. The joint anti-terror military training will include display of weapons and equipment, communication of tactics, joint training and a comprehensive drill, the report said. The two countries held their first joint anti-terrorism military training in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province last year. Earlier in the day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had appealed to both India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue and cooperation to safeguard peace and stability in South Asia. Additional Info: Related Topic Sino-Indian Joint Army Training Exercise (NSI News Source Info) December 5, 2008: In continuation of the ongoing Army to Army cooperation, as part of the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) which commenced between China and in India, in 2006, the 137 member strong Chinese Army contingent arrived in their service aircraft at the Southern Indian city of Pune this morning. Pune, besides being an industrial hub, is also a centre for higher learning. The city which has a concentration of a large number of institutions of higher learning, also boasts of many prestigious military institutions including the premier National Defence Academy (NDA), the cradle of learning and development of India's military leadership. The current joint Army training and exercise marks the growing military cooperation between the two countries. Earlier, India and China had held the first joint naval exercise in November 2003 off Shanghai on China's Eastern seaboard. Subsequently, two ships of the Indian Navy also made port calls at Qingdao and participated in a joint exercise with the PLA Navy earlier in 2007. After a brief formal reception by the Indian contingent commander at the Pune airfield, the Chinese army personnel and stores were transported by six IAF aircrafts to Belgaum, the venue of the Ex Hand-in-Hand 2008. This joint training exercise is the second in the series, the previous one having been conducted in Kunming, China in Oct 2007. The Ex Hand-in-Hand 2008 is aimed at expanding and strengthening military-to-military ties between the two armed forces. During the course of joint training, the Chinese troops from the 1st Company of Infantry Battalion of Chengdu Military Area Command and the Indian Army troops from 8 Maratha Light Infantry Battalion, are expected to undergo joint tactical maneuvers and drills; interoperability training; and joint command post procedures, finally culminating in a joint counter-terrorist operational exercise with simulated enemy. The exercise is planned at mixed company group level with command and control elements from the respective battalions' headquarters. The training and maneuvers are to be supervised by a joint Directing Panel comprising of army officials of both the Armys. The helicopter assets of the Indian Air Force will also be incorporated for conduct of special heliborne maneuvers and assault operations. A 13-member Chinese delegation led by a Senior Colonel (equivalent to a Brigadier of the India Army) was in India from Oct 21 to 23 to attend the initial planning conference and discuss details of the exercise. The detailed planning and coordination for conduct of the exercise were finalized during the visit of eight member Indian Army delegation led by a Brigadier to Chengdu from Nov 20 to Nov 23. A high ranking PLA delegation, as well as senior Indian Army officials, is expected to visit the exercise venue as 'Observers' to view the proceedings of the joint training exercise.

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