Article Posted on : - Sep 05, 2012

Chinese Defence Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie walks after inspecting a guard of honour in New Delh on Tuesday. A PTI Photo

BEIJING (PTI): Chinese Defence Minister Gen Liang Guanglie's ongoing visit to India is aimed at promoting mutual trust between defence forces of the two countries and part of "military diplomacy" by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to reduce tensions with neighbours, Chinese officials have said.

The objective of Gen Liang's visit is to promote "military mutual trust and cooperation between the two militaries and exchanges between the two militaries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

"China always valued its military and defence cooperation with India. China is ready to work with India to promote healthy and steady development of bilateral relations," he said answering a question.

Gen Liang's visit to New Delhi is also part of a flurry of tours undertaken by PLA officials to neighbouring countries to reduce suspicion, enhance mutual trust and minimise miscalculations over territorial disputes, the official media here reported.

As Gen Liang, the first Chinese Defence Minister to visit India in eight years, held talks with his Indian counterpart A K Antony in Delhi, a delegation led by PLA Deputy Chief of Staff Gen Ma Xiaotian left for an official visit to Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore on a mission to improve ties.

China, which has an unresolved border dispute with India, also has territorial issues with Vietnam and Malaysia over the South China Sea.

The flurry of diplomacy by PLA is conducive to reducing miscalculations amid recent territorial disputes and neighbours' concerns about China's military strength, state-run China Daily quoted officials as saying.

It said the military and Foreign Ministry have conducted a number of intensive exchanges this year, with emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.

PLA senior military officials have visited about 20 countries, including the United States.

China is increasingly using "military diplomacy" to supplement other exchanges, said Meng Xiangqing, deputy director of the Strategic Research Institute at the National Defence University of the PLA.

The central feature of Beijing's diplomacy is to create a secure region, but "it will not yield when sovereignty and territory are concerned", he said.

Wan Wei, a researcher at the Academy of Military Science of the PLA, said the purpose of Gen Liang's visit to India is "crystal clear. It is a demonstration of goodwill since military ties between the two countries have witnessed twists and turns."

Gen Liang's 23-member delegation includes Yang Jinshan, commander of the Tibet autonomous region's military district bordering India.

Fifteen rounds of high-level talks have been held between India and China so far in a bid to resolve their border dispute.

According to Sun Shihai, a member of the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies, the Sino-Indian relationship is moving forward despite difficulties in the past.

"For two giant powers with geographical proximity, problems and disputes are inevitable. But if compared with 20 years ago, you'll find overwhelming progress made in the fields of economy and cultural exchanges, security and border issues," he told state-run Global Times.

The Global Times report also mentioned a high-altitude PLA military exercise in the Tibetan plateau in July in which a new type of air defence missile successfully hit three invading "enemy aircraft from the southeast direction," highlighting its military preparedness in the backdrop of India beefing up infrastructure on its side of the border.

Military exchanges, the most sensitive part of bilateral ties, will help reduce suspicion and enhance mutual trust, said Fu Xiaoqiang, an expert on South Asian studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

"We have the ability to defend our waters, and we have not used military force. If we were to do so, it would be as a last resort. We are conducting talks, using diplomatic means and some civilian, law enforcement means, to resolve the conflict. This way is the best," Gen Ma Xiaotian told Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV earlier in Beijing.