Annual Defence Dialogue between India and China

On 6 January and 7 January 2010, third Annual Defence Dialogue between India and China took place in Beijing. Defence secretary Pradeep Kumar led the Ten-member Indian delegation while People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Deputy Chief of the General Staff General Ma Xiaotian headed Chinese delegation. The two nations decided in this dialogue:

•To share information with each other on anti-piracy in Gulf of Aden. 
•To exchange the visits of defence officials between them more frequently. 
•To maintain peace along the line of actual control
•To have more border meetings of defence officials of both sides to ease border tension.
•To start sports activities between borders troops of both sides them for greater interaction between them.
The two sides also discussed counter terrorism measures, regional security and maritime security concerns. During the defence dialogue, they planned a joint military exercise, which will take place in 2011 in Beijing capital of China.

•Pradeep Kumar’s visit to China was a first ever visit by an Indian Defence Secretary to China.
•The First defence dialogue took place in December 2007 in Beijing.
•The Second defence dialogue was held on 15 December 2008 in Belgaun, Karnataka.

India and China held first defence dialogue because of growing tension over infrastructure construction done by both sides along both countries’ border. China and India shares two thousand kilometers long border between them. There is a disputed area of 125,000 k.m.  between them.