A team of eight top brass of Indian Army led by Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda had recently visited Beijing on a goodwill mission and meet senior Chinese commanders. Relations between the two countries, that have almost remained strained and frozen for historical reasons, are getting warmer thanks to upright statesmanship of the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It will be recalled that the visit of Chinese President to our country early this year was reciprocated by the Indian Prime Minster. Together they laid foundation for building new parameters of friendship and good neighbourly relations thereby deviating from the old frozen stereotype that did not help in any way in restoring confidence among the two Asia giants. The Indian military delegation has said that it was received with warmth and cordiality and their talks with Chinese counterparts are proceeding satisfactorily.
India has 4076 kilometers Line of Actual Control (LAC) running in five States including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Of this, 676 kilometers LAC falls in Ladakh sector of Jammu and Kashmir. In the past there have been violations of LAC mainly owing to un-demarcated LAC. The two sides have agreed to work out a mechanism so that trespassing and incursions across the LAC and borders are stopped. That is a major achievement to boost Sino-Indian good relationship. The meeting between the Indian military delegation and the PLA chief Gen Fang Fanghui and Lanzhou Military Region Commander Liu Yuejun has been held in cordial atmosphere. Lanzhou military region commander is of importance as the Chinese commander has agreed to visit New Delhi and the Northern Command in Jammu and Kashmir next year
The Lanzhou Military Region of China is very significant for India as it was one of the seven military regions of China as it directs military and armed police forces in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia and Shaanxi besides Ali area of Northwest Tibet. Some of these regions fall opposite Ladakh sector.
Interestingly, the Chinese military delegation sought from its Indian counterpart details of fighting terrorism especially the like of which Pakistan has unleashed. It has to be reminded that China has serious terrorist-jihadist problem in its eastern province of Xinjiang which the jihadist call Eastern Turkestan.
We should welcome the initiative of Centre to mend fence with China without compromising our security concerns and territorial integrity. Through dialogue and bilateral interaction we should try to make China understand that her geographical ambitions are not acceptable to India; that India wants cordial and friendly relations to boost bilateral trade, cultural exchanges, tourism, sharing of scientific and technological benefits and many other things.
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