China proposes visit of its Defence Minister to India

It is learnt that the proposal was under consideration here and specific dates have not been finalised so far.

The recent moves by China to reach out to India, after the two countries witnessed strained relations between their armies that even triggered suspension of defence exchanges in 2010 for more than one year, have been taken "positively" by New Delhi.

In 2010, following a refusal by China to host the then head of the Northern Command, Lieutenant General B S Jaswal, on the grounds that he was serving in the "sensitive" region of Jammu and Kashmir, the defence exchanges were suspended by India.

Meanwhile, on the increasing influence in the South China Sea, the feeling here is that the situation is "complicated" and no activity should be undertaken by any country in that region which was not "conducive" for the area. The fact that ASEAN countries were "acutely divided" on the issue has also not gone unnoticed here.