By NNN-PTI
Kunming(China) : Enacting a real combat scene, Indian and Chinese troops Tuesday carried out a mock anti-terrorism drill in a hilly terrain in Yunnan province, marking the climax of the first-ever joint military exercise between the world’s two largest armies that took their ties to a new high.
In the simulated 80-minute anti-terror war game, combat forces launched a joint attack using battle tanks, artillery and helicopters on 50 armed terrorists who infiltrate the Sino-Indian border area covertly, set up a training camp and attempt to launch strikes on the trade passes along the border and take hostages before they are neutralised by the troops.
Lt Gen Susheel Gupta, Deputy Chief of Staff, who heads the military Observer Group from India, his counterpart in China’s People’s Liberation Army Lt Gen Ma Xiao Tian and other senior army officials were in attendance during the operation.
At the post-operation press briefing, Ma, answering a question on the impact of the joint military exercise in respect of the festering boundary row between the two nations, said, “it is true that there are some pending questions between China and India. We have different stands and approach to questions and also we have our own interests”.
He said it had been the Chinese government’s “continuous” stand that disputes and differences should be resolved through consultations and negotiations.
“We need to understand each other and communicate with each other. Through this kind of mutual communication and understanding, we can know more about the other side and understand each other”.