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India and China today agreed to resume high-level defence exchanges with Beijing giving its consent to let a division commander, a Major General-ranked officer, from the Northern Army Command to lead a military delegation to China later this year. The understanding is that this officer will be given a proper visa, not a stapled one.
This effectively ends the year-long Indian suspension of high-level military exchanges with China after it conveyed last year that the Northern Army Commander, who was to lead a multi-command delegation to China, would require a stapled visa. This was based on the reasoning that China provides stapled visas to residents of the area, Jammu & Kashmir, which fall under the command of the Northern Army Commander.
As reported first by The Indian Express, the compromise was reached after India conveyed that instead of the Northern Army Commander, this delegation would be led by a Major General from the Northern Command and would include representatives from other military commands as well.
In fact, sources said, the delegation size would be of eight to nine members with more officers from the Northern Command besides the leader and all of them would get proper visas.
This significant breakthrough was firmed up at the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the margins of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit here.
Given that a division commander is in charge of only a part of the area under Northern Command, sources said, was an argument that helped resolve the deadlock.
India and China today agreed to resume high-level defence exchanges with Beijing giving its consent to let a division commander, a Major General-ranked officer, from the Northern Army Command to lead a military delegation to China later this year. The understanding is that this officer will be given a proper visa, not a stapled one.
This effectively ends the year-long Indian suspension of high-level military exchanges with China after it conveyed last year that the Northern Army Commander, who was to lead a multi-command delegation to China, would require a stapled visa. This was based on the reasoning that China provides stapled visas to residents of the area, Jammu & Kashmir, which fall under the command of the Northern Army Commander.
As reported first by The Indian Express, the compromise was reached after India conveyed that instead of the Northern Army Commander, this delegation would be led by a Major General from the Northern Command and would include representatives from other military commands as well.
In fact, sources said, the delegation size would be of eight to nine members with more officers from the Northern Command besides the leader and all of them would get proper visas.
This significant breakthrough was firmed up at the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the margins of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit here.
Given that a division commander is in charge of only a part of the area under Northern Command, sources said, was an argument that helped resolve the deadlock.
