BEIJING: Indian troops have reached
Chengdu in
China to participate in the first joint military exercise since the
Doklam stand-off in 2017. The Chinese foreign ministry expressed hope that the exercise would have a positive effect on bilateral ties.
Indian and Chinese troops will be engaged in hand-to-hand combat exercises for two weeks from December 11. The drill will help improve the anti-terror capabilities of the two armies and promote mutual understanding, China’s defence ministry said.
“I hope exchanges between the two militaries can achieve positive outcomes thus injecting impetus to the bilateral tides,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a briefing on Monday.
He said PM and Chinese president
Xi Jinping had met four times. “The two countries should implement the consensus reached between the two leaders, including contact between the two militaries,” he said.
The decision for a joint military exercise was taken after a meeting of defence secretaries of the two countries and a meeting between national security advisor
Ajit Doval and Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi in November.
China is also engaged in a joint military exercise in Pakistan. Chinese forces reached
Pakistan for a threeweek exercise on Saturday.