China-India military drills are barometer of bilateral ties

China and India have started a 12-day joint military drill on counter-terrorism in Kunming.Taobao agent The exercises involve 144 soldiers from each country and are the fifth round of drills between the two since 2007.
When people think about a military drill conducted by the two emerging powers in the world today—China and India—a tribal dance at the opening event might not be the image that comes to mind. But the festivities show that after four rounds of joint training exercise, both countries are now comfortable with each other on the training fields.
China and India have conducted four joint military drills in the past eight years. The exercises have helped enhance mutual understanding while helping each learn about counter-terrorism. Just a few hundred soldiers are participating like in previous years, but the drills are making a big difference in bilateral ties.
Given a series of military confrontations between the two nations near the Line of Actual Control, this joint drill is serving as a means of establishing trust along the border. Leaders from China and India have consensus and enough reasons to keep the divergences under control. The drills also are an opportunity for the soldiers to become familiar with the weaponry used on both sides of the border.
"The joint military drill is becoming a normalized practice for us and a new development model for military cooperation, particularly on counter terrorism. And both sides are getting more familiar with each other. For instance: our Indian partner arrived late in the evening and went straight into the training program with the Chinese troops," said LT. General Zhou Xiaozhou with Chengdu military region.

The troops will conduct counter-terrorism drills over the next 10 days that involve tactical hand signals, arrests and escorts, hostage rescues, joint attacks and physical training. The Indian officers on hand think that China and India and other parts of the world will benefit from the training.
"The India-China joint exercise is being done in the background of counter-terrorism operations within the United Nations. So, any time if both countries have to operate together in a United Nations situation, both armies should be able to understand each other and operate together," said LT. general Surinder Singh, head of Indian Observation Group.China Ebay

Both countries are positive about the joint military drills and are aiming for high-level communications while continuing their defense cooperation and pushing their military ties to a new high.