India, China to hold war games in December

The India-China 'Hand in Hand' military exercise that was cancelled last year amid the Doklam row will be resumed this year when the armies of the two countries will come together to work on strategy and tactics in the war games to be held in December.

The exercise will be held in Chengdu, China, sources said.

The 73-day standoff last year was triggered after Indian troops stopped Chinese road construction in Doklam -- a region under dispute between China and Bhutan.

It was felt that road connectivity would give China direct access to the Siliguri corridor, giving them strategic advantage and it had to be stopped since it violated the status quo agreed upon by the three countries.

The standoff ended with diplomatic intervention that was followed by a series of measures planned to restore relations after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Wuhan, China in April.

The two leaders decided to issue strategic guidance to their militaries aimed at de-escalating tensions. Last time, the Hand in Hand exercise was held in Pune in 2016.