Bikram Singh holds talks with top brass of PLA
Beijing: The Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh, who is in China on a four-day official visit, held talks with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Chief of General Staff Fang Fenghui on Thursday. General Singh is also scheduled to meet Vice President Li Yuanchao besides Vice Executive Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui.
He is due to address cadets of the National Defence University here on Friday and later travel to Shanghai on July 5 where he would visit a Chinese naval ship.
Commenting on the Indian Army Chief’s visit, the PLA said it is of ‘great significance’ as it aimed at strengthening high-level strategic communication and mutual trust between the two militaries.
The visit is of great significance as it contributes to healthy and steady development of Sino-Indian relations as well as the ties between the two armed forces and creates a good atmosphere. Relations between the two armies, the regional security situation besides the issues of common concern and exchanges will come up for discussion between General Singh and the Chinese military officials, the Chinese Defence Ministry said.
The two sides will implement consensus reached by the leaders of India and China to strengthen border exchanges and cooperation between the armies to jointly safeguard the peace and tranquility in the border areas, the Chinese Defence Ministry added.
General Singh’s visit comes after the just concluded tour of Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and ahead of the first meeting between Chinese President Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brazil later this month.
