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India, China agree on steps to cool border tension, bolster military CBMs
NEW DELHI: Ratcheting down tensions after the recent Dalai Lama episode, India and China have agreed to soon ink their new joint mechanism to prevent border flare-ups as well as bolster military CBMs and defence exchanges, which is likely to include another edition of the "hand-in-hand" bilateral army exercise in 2012-13.
The clear message emanating from the three-hour long bilateral annual defence dialogue (AAD), held in South Block on Friday, was that while resolution of the long-festering boundary dispute "would take time", the world's two largest armies should ensure "peace and tranquility" is maintained all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control.
The two sides, led by defence secretary Shashikant Sharma and PLA's deputy chief of general staff General Ma Xiaotian, agreed that differences in the political and military arenas should be "managed in a more mature fashion, without any needless scoring of points".
Defence minister A K Antony said, "Both sides should work towards increasing mutual trust and confidence, as this was for the benefit of both countries."
Towards this bridging of the trust deficit, India told China that military patrols along the LAC should not be undertaken during nighttime, nor should they "surprise each other". Besides, laid-down standard operating procedures to cool down tempers should be followed in the event of face-offs between the two armies.
India also suggested the BPM (border personnel meeting) mechanism near Lipulekh in the middle sector should now be made operational to follow the ones already in place at Nathu La, Bumla, Spanggur and Kibithu-Damai.
While China harped on the earlier 1993 and 1996 agreements, India stressed the two sides should also "strictly adhere" to provisions of the 2005 Protocol for implementation of CBMs on the LAC. "China agreed to consider our suggestions," said an official.
This comes in the backdrop of China repeatedly needling India with troop and aerial intrusions or "transgressions" in all the three sectors - western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).
The Chinese side stressed that "not a single PLA soldier" was present in pakistan-0ccupied-Kashmir in response to Indian concerns about an expanding Chinese footprint in infrastructure-development in P0K.
The big CBM will be the new boundary mechanism. Under it, the Indian side, led by joint secretary (East Asia) in the external affairs ministry, with representatives from the military, paramilitary and intelligence agencies, will remain in direct and regular touch with the Chinese director-general of boundary affairs to resolve differences.
With the Cabinet Committee on Security giving the "final nod" to the new mechanism, Sharma told the Chinese delegation that India was "fully ready" to ink the agreement.
The Chinese general expressed Beijing's willingness to seal the deal at the meeting of the special representatives, national security adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and his Chinese counterpart Dai Bingguo, when it is scheduled again.
The November 28-29 meeting between Menon and Bingguo in Beijing was scrapped at the last minute after Beijing objected to the international Buddhist congregation at which the Dalai Lama was scheduled to speak in end-November.
India, China agree on steps to cool border tension, bolster military CBMs - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Ratcheting down tensions after the recent Dalai Lama episode, India and China have agreed to soon ink their new joint mechanism to prevent border flare-ups as well as bolster military CBMs and defence exchanges, which is likely to include another edition of the "hand-in-hand" bilateral army exercise in 2012-13.
The clear message emanating from the three-hour long bilateral annual defence dialogue (AAD), held in South Block on Friday, was that while resolution of the long-festering boundary dispute "would take time", the world's two largest armies should ensure "peace and tranquility" is maintained all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control.
The two sides, led by defence secretary Shashikant Sharma and PLA's deputy chief of general staff General Ma Xiaotian, agreed that differences in the political and military arenas should be "managed in a more mature fashion, without any needless scoring of points".
Defence minister A K Antony said, "Both sides should work towards increasing mutual trust and confidence, as this was for the benefit of both countries."
Towards this bridging of the trust deficit, India told China that military patrols along the LAC should not be undertaken during nighttime, nor should they "surprise each other". Besides, laid-down standard operating procedures to cool down tempers should be followed in the event of face-offs between the two armies.
India also suggested the BPM (border personnel meeting) mechanism near Lipulekh in the middle sector should now be made operational to follow the ones already in place at Nathu La, Bumla, Spanggur and Kibithu-Damai.
While China harped on the earlier 1993 and 1996 agreements, India stressed the two sides should also "strictly adhere" to provisions of the 2005 Protocol for implementation of CBMs on the LAC. "China agreed to consider our suggestions," said an official.
This comes in the backdrop of China repeatedly needling India with troop and aerial intrusions or "transgressions" in all the three sectors - western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).
The Chinese side stressed that "not a single PLA soldier" was present in pakistan-0ccupied-Kashmir in response to Indian concerns about an expanding Chinese footprint in infrastructure-development in P0K.
The big CBM will be the new boundary mechanism. Under it, the Indian side, led by joint secretary (East Asia) in the external affairs ministry, with representatives from the military, paramilitary and intelligence agencies, will remain in direct and regular touch with the Chinese director-general of boundary affairs to resolve differences.
With the Cabinet Committee on Security giving the "final nod" to the new mechanism, Sharma told the Chinese delegation that India was "fully ready" to ink the agreement.
The Chinese general expressed Beijing's willingness to seal the deal at the meeting of the special representatives, national security adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and his Chinese counterpart Dai Bingguo, when it is scheduled again.
The November 28-29 meeting between Menon and Bingguo in Beijing was scrapped at the last minute after Beijing objected to the international Buddhist congregation at which the Dalai Lama was scheduled to speak in end-November.
India, China agree on steps to cool border tension, bolster military CBMs - The Times of India
