On Cards of India-China Defence Secretary Level Talks Next Week: 'Hotline Linking Military Headquarters on Both Sides'
The two sides are also set to ink the bilateral military cooperation agenda for 2019, which will broadly lay the schedule and nature of upcoming joint military drills, strategic exercises and exchanges.
New Delhi, November 7: On cards of the Defence Secretary-level talks between India and China next week, is a likely agreement on setting up a hotline between the military headquarters and regional command on both sides of the border. The move is aimed at minimising adventurism and transgressions along the 3,488-kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC), said officials privy to the development.
In the meeting to be held on November 13-14 between Indian Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and his Chinese counterpart Lt General Shao Yuanming, an agreement could also be reached on establishing a hotline between the Western Command of People's Liberation Army - overlooking Tibet and Xinjiang region - with a designated top Indian Army officer. PM Modi Celebrates Diwali With Soldiers in Harshil Near India-China Border.
The two sides are also set to ink the bilateral military cooperation agenda for 2019, which will broadly lay the schedule and nature of upcoming joint military drills, strategic exercises and exchanges.
In a major upliftment in Sino-Indian defence ties, the India Army would be participating in the "hand-in-hand" military exercise to be conducted by the PLA in Chengdu. The joint drill, to be held in December, comes after a delay of two years due to the 73-day Doklam standoff.
The hand-in-hand exercise has so far witnessed six editions, with the last being hosted by India in 2016.
Ahead of the much-awaited joint drill, a Special Representative dialogue on boundary issue will be held on November 23, 24 and 25 in Chengdu region. This comes in the wake of border transgressions sharply dipping between two two sides in 2018, after turbulent last year which witnessed a two-and-half-month long lockdown near the Doklam plateau.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 07, 2018 04:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).