India and China to resume military exercises, Antony to visit Beijing

NEW DELHI: Reflecting their keenness to improve mutual confidence, India and China today decided to resume at the "earliest" joint military exercises, which had been put on hold since 2010 over visa row, and agreed to enhance tranquility at the borders.

At a meeting between Defence Minister A K Antony and his counterpart from China Gen Liang Guanglie, India is understood to have flagged concerns over the presence of Chinese soldiers in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

The Chinese side talked about US plans to shift majority of its military power to Asia Pacific region in which it wants India to be a "lynchpin".

The steps by the two countries to boost defence ties and confidence-building measures were announced after crucial talks here between Antony and Gen Liang, the first Chinese Defence Minister to visit India in eight years.

Antony, who termed the delegation-level talks as "very fruitful", said he has accepted the invitation by Liang to visit Beijing next year.