A senior colonel and two captains from the Chinese army were coming to India for an English language course at Panchmarhi.
India has got back at China for refusing a visa to army officer Lieutenant General BS Jaswal, by denying visas to three Chinese officers.
A senior colonel and two captains from the Chinese army were coming to India for an English language course at Panchmarhi.
India has also put on hold all defence exchanges with Beijing, including a company-level army exercise and the annual defence dialogue.
India also summoned Chinese ambassador Zhang Yang to register its protest the refusal of visa to Lt Gen Jaswal as he had served in “sensitive” Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Yang met joint secretary (China) Gautam Bambawale and they are understood to have discussed the issue.
The government is worried that the differences between the two countries on stapled visas have now extended to military exchanges as well, which is why India is eager to have a candid chat with China and “sort it out”.
“We have an important, multifaceted and complex relationship with the People’s Republic of China.
Our interaction has been growing in a number of areas, including defence. In recent years, we have had useful defence exchanges at various levels.
While we value our exchanges with China, there must be sensitivity to each others’ concerns. Our dialogue with China on these issues is ongoing,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said.
India is uncomfortable with Chinese aggression and its bonhomie with Pakistan, so it wants problems to be sorted out. The government has also asked China to stop stapling visas.
“We do not issue stapled visas to the people of Tibet,” said an official, referring to the visit of an army officer from Tibet Autonomous Region to India four months back.
The Chinese army officers who were denied visas were scheduled to attend an English language course at the Army Education Corps Centre in Panchmarhi.
Incidentally, China was to send a senior colonel to the Delhi-based National Defence College (NDC) for a one-year defence management course beginning January 2011.
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