India, China to kickstart high-level defence talks

[SR-91]

Beijing : India and China are set to hold a number of high-level dialogues this year on a host of issues, including defence, economic and strategic matters, to improve bilateral ties.

Deputy Chief of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Wang Guanzhong will hold annual Defence Dialogue with the Indian Defence Secretary R K Mathur in New Delhi today on issues concerning the defence forces including exchanges, training and joint military exercises.

The talks are expected to cover defence exchanges, joint military exercises as well as steps to increase confidence building measures between the two forces in the light of the signing of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) last year to avoid repetition of incursions by Chinese troops in the Depsang Valley in Ladakh region.

The two countries held third round of military exercises last year after a gap of five years. This year’s exercises are due to be held in India. The Defence Dialogue is taking place in the backdrop of 17th round of border talks held in New Delhi headed by National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and China’s State Councillor Yang Jiechi.

The two countries would also hold the annual Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) here on March 18-19.

Deputy Chief of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia would head the Indian delegation at the talks, officials said.

The SED which discuses economic and trade relations between the two countries would cover issues like enhancing cooperation in important sectors such as infrastructure and high-technology, handling of the present global economic situation, cooperation in international monetary and financial systems, global commodity markets, sustainable development and climate change.

The two countries are also finalising dates for the annual Strategic Dialogue, an informal talks mechanism that covered a vast areas of mutual interest to be held between top officials of the foreign ministries of both the countries.

- See more at: India, China to kickstart high-level defence talks - Free Press Journal

 

[kurup]

China springs a surprise at border talks with India

China wants a code of conduct for troops on the India-China border areas. While the Indian side has reacted cautiously, it is not clear what effective additional protocols that the current proposed code will bring forth to usher stability in the border areas, says Srikanth Kondapalli.

China surprised India once again with a formal suggestion for implementing a ‘code of conduct’ between the armed forces of both countries at the recently held 17th Special Representative meeting in New Delhi on February 10-11. While the Special Representative meetings were instituted to resolve the territorial dispute, initially to clarify the Line of Actual Control between the two countries, these interactions have expanded to include issues not just on the dispute per se but also on others aspects affecting the bilateral relations.

China’s new proposal for modulating the behaviour of the troops on the borders comes as a surprise despite a series of arrangements between the two armies since the 1970s when confidence building measures were put in place across the undefined borders. These include the first CBMs at Chushul in Ladakh sector in the 1970s. Subsequently, the 1993 “Peace & Tranquility” agreement, 1996 CBMs in the military field, April 2005 proposals and the 2012 Border Defence Cooperation agreement.

While China had suggested such a code of conduct for the maritime areas in the disputed South China Sea islands in November 2002, this is perhaps the first time that Beijing suggested such proposals on the land domain with India. With Russia and central Asia, China did conclude CBMs in the military field, including demilitarisation, prior to the resolution of the territorial disputes with these states since the 1990s, yet the current code of conduct proposal is different with India.

Firstly, unlike with Russia, central Asia or Vietnam with which China had resolved the land territorial disputes in a time-bound manner with deadlines fixed by the civilian leadership in Beijing, no such time-frame for resolved the territorial dispute exists with India. Indeed, for various reasons -- including rising nationalism and pressures on the new leadership in China, coalition era in India, etc -- both sides have not provided for a time frame for the final resolution of the dispute even though both were engaged in such discussions thrice in 1960, eight times in 1980s and 15 times under the Joint Working Group meetings in 1990s and now in the 17 Special Representative mechanisms since 2003.

Two phases of the Special Representative meetings were identified with the early five discussions from 2003 to 2005 as knowing each other’s positions on the border dispute, while the meetings from sixth through ninth as more intensive in nature. After five meetings between the SRs both countries, in a joint statement in April 2005 between the two premiers, decided to solve the border dispute based on “political parameters and guiding principles”.

The second phase from the sixth meeting in September 2005 explored possibilities for initiating an “agreed framework” on the boundary dispute settlement. At the 15th Special Representative meeting in New Delhi in January 2012, the framework was exchanged. Interestingly, during the August 2009 13th Special Representative Meeting between M K Narayanan and Dai Bingguo, the Hong Kong based newspaper Ming Pao reported that China is prepared to settle for 28 percent of the disputed territory between the two countries, though denied by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman. The Indian side, however, is tight-lipped on the details of this deal.

Secondly, the code of conduct with southeast Asian countries, specifically with Vietnam and the Philippines, has not been successful and the regional countries have demanded that the code be made enforceable. No such provisions -- that no country should seize more islands or build military infrastructure -- were accepted by Beijing, resulting in tensions in the last one decade.

It is not clear what provisions are including in the code suggested by Beijing to India last week but the experience on such a code is not so encouraging -- at least in the southeast Asian context. Although the 17th SR talks were termed as being held in “candid, friendly and constructive atmosphere” the official statement did not mention about the status of the code. It indicates that the Indian side is cautious, but looking at the provisions of the code.

Thirdly, it was suggested that the proposed code of conduct aims at reducing/eliminating chances of conflict between the patrolling troops in the border areas. However, these were part of the earlier CBMs agreed to between the two sides including the recent Border Defence Cooperation Agreement. It is not clear what effective additional protocols that the current proposed code will bring forth to usher stability in the border areas.

The fact that China had not explained why its troops intruded 19 kilometers in the Indian claimed areas in the Depsang plains incident in Ladakh from April 15 to May 6 last year, despite a “strategic partnership and cooperation” between the two since 2005 indicates that even if the proposed code of conduct between the troops is accepted and implemented by India, there is no guarantee that Depsang plains incident will never recur.

Indeed as the code of conduct proposals were being made by the Chinese side, transgressions in the border areas were reported. This indicates to the limitations of the proposed code.

Fourthly, more significantly, the proposed code of conduct appears to be more a ploy to distract the Indian attention, although every measure needs to be taken to maintain stability in the border areas by both the troops. While the Depsang plains incident was aimed at lowering the image of the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police forces -- as a process of “perturbing the enemy lines” -- the proposed code appears to create differences in the civil-military relations in India. India then needs to take a firm call on the proposed code of conduct.

China springs a surprise at border talks with India - Rediff.com India News

 

[kurup]

India, China to hold war games and strengthen maritime security cooperation

India and China on Monday agreed on a slew of measures, including holding of joint Army exercise this year and strengthening maritime security cooperation while maintaining peace and tranquility on the dispute border.

At the 6th annual defence dialogue here, the two sides discussed increasing the number of interactions between them at multiple levels along with the setting up of hotlines between the two Armies at brigade, corps and command levels along with a similar setup at their respective Army headquarters.

Deputy chief of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Lt General Wang Guanzhong met the defence secretary RK Mathur for the defence dialogue in the South Block, which houses the ministry of defence.

During the meeting, which lasted for two hours, both sides decided on a number of measures for exchanges and interactions between their militaries in 2014. The defence ministry said both sides have agreed to have hotline at the Brigade-level, instead of Director General Military Operation (DGMO), as there is no DGMO-level rank officer in the PLA.

The talks covered taking steps to increase confidence building measures between the two forces in the light of the signing of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement last year to avoid repetition of incursions by Chinese troops in the Depsang Valley in Ladakh region.

“India, China agreed to hold border personnel meetings at places other than existing three locations. Also, issues like tailing of each other patrol vehicle and holding military exercises at tactical level on border was discussed,” said a senior ministry of defence official. At present, three places are earmarked for Border Personnel Meetings for flag meeting i.e Chishul (Leh), Nathula (Sikkim) and Boomla (Arunachal Pradesh). Indian side believed to have proposed two more site for flag meeting.

Other agreed measures include strengthening of maritime security cooperation between navies, officer exchanges and professional interactions at various levels of all services and exchanges in the areas of peacekeeping, counter terrorism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

“Year 2014 has been designated as the year of friendly exchanges between the two sides to foster mutual trust and understanding between the two miliary,” the officer added.

Last year, there were over 150 incidents of incursions and face-off between the two armies while patrolling. In April, a PLA platoon level patrol team intruded 18 km into Indian territory in DBO in Ladakh.

India, China to hold war games and strengthen maritime security cooperation | idrw.org

 

[amitkriit]

India must be careful and tactful. China might play nice for the moment because it's current focus is on Japan. China doesn't want trouble on it's southern frontier. But things might change very quickly. This is an age old tactics of taking on one enemy at a time (Divide and Rule).

 

[kurup]

India, China will hold talks to avoid LAC friction

With political settlement of the border dispute remaining elusive despite 17 rounds of talks between special representatives, India and China are now slowly but steadily stepping up military engagement at “multiple levels” to “manage” confrontations along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

India and China this year will exchange visits by their defence ministers, hold a “senior-level exchange” between their directorates general of military operations (DGMOs) to discuss “practical measures” for management of border issues, conduct another joint army exercise, try to set up additional border personnel defence (BPM) points and establish hotlines between military commanders at different levels.

The 6th India-China annual defence dialogue, co-chaired by defence secretary R K Mathur and People’s Liberation Army deputy chief Lt-Gen Wang Guanzhong here on Monday, also agreed to “strengthen maritime security cooperation between the navies”, step up exchanges of officers and cooperate in areas like peace-keeping, counter-terrorism and humanitarian disaster relief.

“The two sides agreed to continue to expand the exchanges between their armed forces to foster mutual trust and understanding,” said an official. The two armies in particular will work to fine-tune the implementation of the new Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) inked last October, which provides for a stronger mechanism to defuse face-offs between rival troops along the LAC.

“A lot still needs to be done. Both sides, for instance, have to adhere to the BDCA provision for ‘no tailing’ of each other’s patrols since it often triggers a face-off,” he said.

Apart from the fourth ‘Hand-in-Hand’ (HiH) counter-terrorism exercise to be held in India later this year, after the first three were held in Kunming (2007), Belgaum (2008) and Miaoergang (2013), the two sides are moving towards conducting “small platoon-level tactical exercises” and non-contact sporting events along the LAC to further boost military CBMs.

Similarly, Kibithu (Arunachal)-Damai and Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand)-Qiang BPM points are being discussed to add to the existing ones at Chushul (Ladakh), Nathu La (Sikkim) and Bum La (Arunachal). “The BPM mechanism provides for regular consultations and interactions between the two armies,” said the official.

India also wants the proposed headquarter-level hotline to connect the Indian DGMO to a “top general” in the PLA hierarchy in Beijing, and not the commander of the Chinese Chengdu Military Area Command. “There will also be hotlines between local commanders on the ground as part of the push for more interactions at various levels,” he said.

While “incursions and transgressions” across the LAC continue from both sides to strengthen claims on disputed patches, the aim is to amicably defuse the confrontations when they do take place with both armies “exercising maximum self-restraint” and having “the right to seek clarifications from the other side”.

This has become crucial after the 21-day face-off in April-May last year when PLA troops intruded 19 km into Depsang valley in DBO sector of eastern Ladakh. “While the PLA troops on the ground were telling us one thing, Beijing was saying something else during the stand-off. We want predictability in dealing with such incidents. Local disputes should be amicably settled between local commanders,” he added.

India, China will hold talks to avoid LAC friction | idrw.org

 

[jarves]

China only talks and does not walk the talk.

 

[kurup]

Chinese Defence Minister Visit to India this Year

China’s Defence Minister Chang Wanquan will be visiting India even as the two nations decided to hold joint exercise, later this year, of their armies for the second year in a row. This was agreed at the sixth annual defence dialogue between the two countries at the secretary-level here on Monday.

The meeting, co-chaired by India’s Defence Secretary R K Mathur and China’s Deputy Chief of General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army Lt Gen Wang Guangzhong, also agreed to strengthen their strategic consultation, which they felt would facilitate “sharing of perspectives and mutual understanding in the evolving regional security situation”.

The two sides also discussed proposals relating to establish hotlines between key formations along the LAC and between their Directors General of Military Operations.

Chinese Defence Minister Visit to India this Year | idrw.org

 

[drunken-monke]

Caution and optimism, can both go hand in hand... Well I think it should... The feeling of mistrust between Indo-China must be reduced to the lowest possible level and bolster bilateral relations..