India, China to resume defence talks: source
India, China to resume defence talks: source
New Delhi: India will resume defence ties with China on Sunday when a military delegation will travel to Beijing, a year after New Delhi suspended such meetings over a visa spat, a government source said on Thursday.
China had in August last year denied a visa to an Indian general in charge of operations in the Kashmir region. The Indian source said that as part of the compromise with Beijing, the delegation would be headed by another general.
“If you’ve agreed to my point, I can’t run you down to the ground. They have to save face, as the Chinese say," the source said, declining to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
“But after this trip, things will be back on track," he said, referring to the resumption of defence exchanges.
India protested in 2009 against a Chinese embassy policy of issuing different visas to residents of Kashmir. New Delhi bristles at any hint that Kashmir, where a separatist insurgency has raged for two decades, is not part of India.
India and China, emerging rivals for resources and global influence, have fought a war over a border and have limited military ties. China also occupies a part of Kashmir.
The eight-member delegation will be in China till 24 June and will also visit Urumqi, the capital of the restive Xinjiang province that abuts Kashmir, the Indian source said.
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