China and India seek closer ties

Defense Minister Liang kicks off visit to three Asian neighbors

Defense Minister Liang Guanglie commenced a tour of three Asian countries on Wednesday, including a visit to India for the first time since he took the post.

Liang traveled to Sri Lanka on Wednesday for a five-day visit. He will travel to India on Sunday where he will spend three days before traveling to Laos.

During his visit to India, Liang, who is heading a 23-member delegation that includes high-ranking members of the Chinese defense and military establishment, will meet his counterpart, Indian Defense Minister Shri AK Antony.

This is the first visit by a Chinese defense minister to India since March 2004.

Topics expected to be discussed include measures to maintain peace along the borders and confidence building between the armed forces of the two countries, the Indian Defense Ministry said. The two sides will also discuss measures to promote defense cooperation between their armed forces.

It is important for the countries to maintain regular visits of high-level military officials, develop bilateral military ties and improve mutual understanding, said Ding Hao, a researcher at the Beijing-based Academy of Military Sciences.

"Talks between the defense ministers should be held regularly. Such a mechanism will help reduce doubts and suspicion of one another, as well as increase transparency," said Sun Shihai, an expert on Indian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

India, as a fast emerging economy and BRICS member country, has shared interests and similar stances with China on many international and regional issues. As the economic ties develop and the two neighbors seek to establish a border management mechanism, it is also important for both countries to strengthen military ties, Sun said.

Liang visited India in 2005 as the chief of general staff of the People's Liberation Army.

India media has speculated that during the visit the two countries will discuss reviving their "Hand-in-Hand" military exercises.

The two armies held the "Hand-in-Hand" joint military anti-terrorism training near Kunming, capital city of Southwest China's Yunnan province, in 2007. It was the first joint training since 1962, when the two giants of the Asian region had a brief border conflict.

It was followed by a second joint exercise held in 1998 in Belgaum, a city in southwest India's Karnataka state, with the participation of around 140 Chinese soldiers. The third exercise was canceled.

The development of bilateral ties are often hampered by matters such as the unresolved boundary issue, which is not conducive to building mutual trust between the two militaries, according to Sun.

"Without good communication and candid dialogue, military relations between China and India won't be stable and fast moving," he said.

Liang's visits to Sri Lanka and Laos will also improve communication and bring tranquility to the region, according to observers.

Panetta to visit China

United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will visit China in September, said Cai Yingting, deputy chief of the General Staff of the PLA.

Cai announced the visit during his recent week-long visit to the US.

It will be Panetta's first visit to China since taking office in July 2011.

Obstacles in bilateral military ties, such as US arms sales to Taiwan, the US pivot to Asia and adjustment on its defense policies, are likely to be high on the agenda, said Jia Xiudong, a senior researcher on international affairs at the China Institute of International Studies.

"The US has been trying to affect China's future national defense and security policy to contain China on the one hand, and on the other hand keep a normal relationship with China," Jia said.

US concerns about China's military transparency and the build-up of national defense capability are likely to be discussed during Panetta's visit, said Jia.

Jia said Panetta is also likely to respond to China's concerns including the US stance on the South China Sea issue and the Diaoyu Islands dispute between China and Japan, a close ally of the US in Asia.

China is firmly opposed to the US stance that the Diaoyu Islands fall within the scope of the US-Japan security treaty, under which Washington would provide assistance if Tokyo's territories came under an armed attack.

"The two countries should solve the problem of having a lack of mutual strategic trust, which this visit is expected to help improve," Jia said.

"The US and China are neither allies nor enemies, and their competition should not be confrontational," Jia added.

Panetta visited Delhi in June, and tried to make India part of the alliance against China. He also called for a deepening of their defense cooperation to provide more stability in the Asian region.

Relations between the US and India have become closer as they have strategic need for each other, according to Jia.

"India hopes to make use of its relationship with the US to win more bargaining chips for its interaction with China," Jia said.

In the meantime, India is fully aware of the importance of its relationship with China, Jia said.

"Although the two countries have conflicts including the border issue, the main focus of bilateral ties is to seek more cooperation. They are not in competition," he added.