 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Saturday, Dec 06, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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SHARING KNOWLEDGE: PLA’s Senior Colonel and leader of the Chinese contingent Qin Xiang You and Major General and Additional Director-General of the Army, Public Relations, Vijay Narula (left) in Belgaum on Saturday. Belgaum: The Sino-Indian Joint Military Training and Exercise “Ex Hand-in-Hand 2008,” which is all set to commence at the Belgaum field on Saturday, aims at developing combat strategies to counter terrorism.This exercise — the second after the exercise in Kunming, China in December last — is in furtherance of the efforts to strengthen military ties between the armed forces of the two Republics. For peace and stability“These exercise will also help in strengthening peace and stability in both China and India,” remarked Qin Xiang You, Senior Colonel [equivalent to a Brigadier of the Indian Army], contingent leader of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), during a brief interaction with journalists at the Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (MLIRC) here on the eve of the exercise. Major General and Additional Director-General of Indian Army, Public Relations, Vijay Narula and senior officials from the armed forces of joint military contingents were present. The exercise follows significant political engagement between the two countries started by the “watershed” visit of the former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi, to China in 1998. This was followed by reciprocal visits and the setting up of a Joint Working Group. The relationship further moved decisively following the visit of Pranab Mukherjee as the then Defence Minister to China in 2006. The present training and exercise is in continuation of the ongoing Army-to-Army cooperation and as part of the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) which commenced between China and in India in 2006, Major General Narula said. Highlighting the salient features of the exercise, he said different drills, training and exercise would be conducted in three phases jointly by the two contingents consisting of 137 personnel from each country. 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, will undergo joint tactical manoeuvres and drills; interoperability training; and joint command post procedures, culminating in a joint counter-terrorist operational exercise with simulated enemy. The helicopter assets of the Indian Air Force will also be incorporated for manoeuvres and assault operations. The detailed planning and coordination for the exercise were finalised during the visit of eight-member Indian Army delegation led by a Brigadier to Chengdu in November. “The focus of the exercise, however, will be on learning from each other combat-techniques to counter terrorism.” While both the professional armies will learn from each other and share knowledge on military combat techniques, no “secrets” are shared, he said. Responding to questions, he said interpreters had been engaged to counter the language hurdle. Sr. Col. Qin Xiang You, who expressed his happiness at the warm reception accorded by the Indian Army in Pune and Belgaum, said the exercises aimed at developing better mutual understanding between the two countries and sharing knowledge on combating terrorism. A high-ranking PLA -delegation as well as senior Indian Army officials are expected to visit the exercise venue as observers on December 11 and 12, while the event will wind up on December 14. Corrections and ClarificationsA report "Sino-Indian exercises today" (December 6, 2008) said that the [Sino-Indian Joint Military Training and] Exercise ["Ex Hand-in-Hand 2008"] follows significant political engagement between the two countries started by the "watershed" visit of the former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi, to China in 1998. At the invitation of Premier Li Peng, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi paid an official visit to China between December 19-23, 1988, the first visit to China by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years
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