India, China armies resume talks

NEW DELHI: India resumes defence contacts with China frozen for a year when an Indian military delegation visits on Sunday, though few expect any breakthrough with Beijing pursuing its "all-weather friendship" with arch-rival Pakistan.

But analysts say the visit, which ends a suspension of such contacts following a visa row last year, is a step forward in keeping a balance in ties between the emerging rivals for global influence and resources.

New Delhi feels Beijing is trying to encircle and pin India down to South Asia with a string of military bases on the Indian Ocean rim. China is Pakistan's biggest arms supplier and the only major power not to have publicly criticised Islamabad over the discovery of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in that country.

While trade and diplomatic ties between the Asian powers are booming, the lack of defence exchanges is an aberration analysts say must be remedied for the world's fastest growing economies to achieve lasting peace.

"It is symbolic and I cautiously welcome it. It does not represent any breakthrough in solving the disputes," said Uday Bhaskar, director of New-Delhi based think-tank National Maritime Foundation. "The mistrust is (over) the deep anxiety over military cooperation (between Pakistan and China) and how Pakistan is using that for furthering its agenda of terrorism."

While a war between India and China is highly unlikely, any flare up will only add to tensions in a dangerous neighbourhood, complicating efforts by Washington to stabilise a region filled with nuclear weapons and Islamic militants. "(Not having) talks on the defence level is a symbol of mistrust. It breeds more suspicions if they are not talking," said Srikanth Kondapalli, professor of Chinese studies at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.