Defence talks with China as scheduled

“I think, we expect whatever is in the pipeline will continue,” External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told reporters when he was asked if the defence dialogue would also be postponed.

The defence secretaries of India and China are likely to lead the respective delegations of both the countries in the parleys scheduled to take place in New Delhi on December 8 and 9 next. This will be the first structured talks between the defence delegations of the two countries after last year’s diplomatic row over Beijing’s decision to deny visa to a senior official of Indian Army because his operational areas included Jammu and Kashmir.

Krishna reviewed New Delhi’s relation with Beijing on Tuesday, when India’s envoy to China S Jaishankar met him and briefed him about the complex ties between the two neighbours, particularly in the wake of the postponement of the boundary talks and Chinese objection to Indian companies’ role in hydrocarbon exploration in South China Sea. “Our Ambassador to China was here for regular consultations with the Foreign Office. He had also come prepared to assist the government if the talks between Special Representatives of India and China discussing the border issues were to be held. I think, now the meeting is postponed,” said External Affairs Minister.

“He (Jaishankar) served the useful purpose of exchanging views with the Foreign Office,” he added.