In an effort to achieve some confidence building amid growing suspicion of a military build-up on the Sino-Indian border, Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen V K Singh is leading a high-level military delegation to China on a weeklong “goodwill visit” that would include a rare stop in Lhasa. The Eastern Army Command is responsible for deployment in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

It is learnt that Commander of Leh-based 14 Corps Lt Gen S K Singh, who is responsible for forces facing the Chinese on the Ladakh border, is also part of the delegation along with a senior official from the Lucknow-based Central Command that oversees deployment along the Uttarakhand border.

While senior Indian military officials — the last being the Central Army Commander in 2006-07 — have visited China, this visit draws its significance from the fact that it includes all senior officials in-charge of Army deployment along the India-China border. The plan, sources said, had been in the works but dates could only be finalised now.

The delegation will not only meet senior officials from the PLA in Beijing but will also travel to Lhasa and the Chengdu province to meet some of their military counterparts. The visit comes at a time when there is increased suspicion among militaries on both sides, particularly in the Eastern Sector where China has suddenly become more active after staking claim to the Finger Area, the northernmost tip of Sikkim.

Just last week, sources said, junior military officials from the Chinese side wanted to cross into the area claiming that it was their territory. Indian troops blocked them, leading to a heated exchange of words with local commanders finally being able to resolve the issue through persuasion. Such incidents have become more routine than before.

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