Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 15

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, when he leaves for China tomorrow, will carry an important message for Beijing’s top leadership: “We don’t treat you as an enemy and nor does India equate China and Pakistan.”Parrikar, who was scheduled to leave on April 17, has advanced his visit by a day so that he can fly Air India instead of flying out on a Chinese airline the next day. He also opted out of using a personal jet. He will be in Shanghai to meet the Indian business community before flying off to Beijing.In China, his meetings with the government start on April 18 where he would tell the leadership that India does not hyphenate Pakistan-China and both are separate countries for New Delhi, said sources while telling the key agenda points for Parrikar’s meetings.He will address issues of cooperation in the Indian Ocean. China and India already conduct coordinated anti-piracy patrols along the Yemen and North-East Africa coastline of the ocean. China is sensitive to maintain security of the sea lines of communications used by merchant ships as millions of tonnes of its crude oils pass very close to India’s west coast and also close to the Andaman and Nicobar islands on the east edge of Bay of Bengal.Parrikar and his high-level team will be discussing expansion of military exchanges at senior levels and allow each other’s officers into top military institutions like the National Defence College in Delhi.China is preparing to send its troops for UN peacekeeping mission and India has more than 50 years of experience in such missions.The Indian delegation will be meeting Chinese premier Li Keqiang followed by a meeting with General Fan and latter with Defence Minister Chang Wanquan. Parrikar will also visit the headquarters of the Chengdu Military area command which is tasked to face India.He shall be accompanied by Defence Secretary G Mohun Kumar, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force Air Marshall BS Dhanoa and Chief of the Navy’s Western Command Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba.

The visit’s agenda

• Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will address issues of cooperation in the Indian Ocean. China and India already conduct joint anti-piracy patrols along the Yemen and North-East Africa coastline of the ocean
• Parrikar and his high-level team will be discussing expansion of military exchanges at senior levels and allow each other’s officers into top military institutions like the National Defence College in Delhi
• China is preparing to send its troops for UN peacekeeping mission and India has more than 50 years of experience in such missions