India, China likely to set up a hotline soon

In a bid to improve border management and avoid frequent stand-off between the two armies, India and China are mulling setting up a hotline between the military headquarters of both the countries.

According to reports, China has reacted positively towards setting up a military hotline with India.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is Beijing, met Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan yesterday and held discussions on improving border management through a new round of confidence building measures (CBMs) with him.

"The Chinese have returned the draft of the memorandum on establishing a hotline between the two military headquarters. The issue should be closed within one or two months," media reports quoted Parrikar as saying after the meeting.

Parrikar, who is presently on a five-day visit to China, is the first Indian Defence Minister to visit the country after A.K. Antony in 2013. He will also be meeting the top Chinese military officials.

Parrikar arrived at Shanghai yesterday, accompanied by a delegation which included senior officials from the Defence Ministry and from the Army and Navy.