By IANS,
Beijing : The Chinese military’s diplomacy will help reduce miscalculations amid territorial disputes and concerns of neighbours, analysts said as Defence Minister Liang Guanglie visits India.
China Daily Tuesday quoted analysts as saying that a flurry of diplomacy by People’s Liberation Army officials is conducive to reducing miscalculations amid recent territorial disputes and neighbours’ concerns about China’s military strength.
Two senior PLA officials are currently visiting Asian countries, while Defence Minister Liang Guanglie started his five-day India trip Sunday.
Analysts said India has territorial disputes with China and the first visit by a defence minister in eight years will help ease tensions.
On Sunday, a PLA delegation, led by the Deputy Chief of General Staff Ma Xiaotian, left Beijing to visit Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore.
The daily said that the military and foreign ministry have conducted a string of intensive exchanges this year, with the emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.
PLA senior military officials have visited about 20 countries, it noted.
China is increasingly using military diplomacy to supplement other exchanges, Meng Xiangqing, deputy director of the Strategic Research Institute at the National Defense University of the PLA, was quoted as saying.
The expert said that the key feature of Beijing’s diplomacy is to create a secure region, but “it will not yield when sovereignty and territory are concerned”.
Fu Xiaoqiang, an expert on South Asian studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, pointed out that military exchanges, which are the most sensitive part of bilateral ties, will help reduce suspicion and enhance mutual trust.