FILE: In this Ministry of Defence Handout picture received on December 9, 2008 the Chinese Army's Colonel Qin Xiang You (L) interacts with an Indian Army soldier during the ongoing Indo-Chinese military exercises in Belgaum. (AFP photo)
Weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit's China, the two countries will discuss whether officers from either side could train at military training academies in each other's country.
Indian military training establishments allow mid-level officers from "friendly foreign countries" - like USA, Sri Lanka, Africa, Philippines, Vietnam etc - to train alongside Indian officers in their courses. Indian officers too train at foreign military schools.
The move to have Chinese and Indian officers train with each other is seen as effort to foster better understanding between the two armed forces. It will be keenly watched by Moscow, Japan and even the US.
The modalities will be discussed during the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) that begins in Beijing today. The Indian side is led by Defence Secretary R. K Mathur.
Besides, the proposal to allow officers to train with each other, officials from the two countries will also finalise setting up four meeting points along the India-China border in Leh to quickly resolve stand-offs. The meeting points identified are - Track Junction, Pangang Tso Lake, Demchock and Chumar.
They are also expected to discuss the expansion of the scope the annual military exercise, Hand in Hand, between India and China.
Their armies have carried out four such exercises in the past, primarily focused on counter-terrorism. "There is a possibility that the two militaries may exercise looking at different scenarios, which could involve the Navy and Air Force," a top Defence Ministry official told NDTV.
Finally, the two sides will also discuss how to better implement the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement or BDCA, which was agreed upon in October 2013 after a series of transgressions by Chinese troops, one of which resulted in a stand-off for over a month leading to heightened tension between the neighbours.
The BDCA aims to defuse border flare-ups. China and India had both agreed to curb aggressive patrolling in disputed border areas and also not to tail each other's patrols.