China stated that it opposed joint Indo-US military exercises near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), claiming that they violate the spirit of the two border agreements agreed upon by New Delhi and Beijing, news agency PTI reported citing a Chinese Foreign Ministry press briefing held on Wednesday.
The 18th round of the India-US joint military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' is now taking place in Uttarakhand, approximately 100 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“The joint military exercise between India and the US close to the LAC at the China-India border violates the spirit of the agreement between China and India in 1993 and 1996,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing, PTI reported.
“It does not serve the mutual trust between China and India”, he said in response to a question posed by a correspondent from Pakistan.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry's reference to the 1993 and 1996 agreements is significant because India has stated that the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) attempts to move a large number of troops to the disputed areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in May 2020 violated bilateral agreements that state that the boundary question is resolved through peaceful and friendly consultations.
The yearly military exercise between India and the United States aims to exchange best practices, tactics, techniques, and procedures between the militaries of the two countries.
"The 18th Edition of India-US Joint Exercise #YudhAbhyas commenced today at Foreign Training Node, Auli. The aim of the Joint Exercise is to enhance interoperability & share expertise between both Armies in Peace Keeping & Disaster Relief Operations. #IndianArmy #IndiaUSFriendship," the Indian Army tweeted on November 19.
The previous edition of the exercise was held in October 2021 at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska, according to officials.
The US Army's 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army soldiers from the Assam Regiment will participate in the exercise, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The drill will also include humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR) missions.
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According to the government, troops from both countries will rehearse initiating rapid and coordinated assistance efforts in the aftermath of any natural disaster.
The exercise between the armies of India and the United States will allow both forces to share their diverse experiences, abilities, and approaches through information exchange.
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The Chinese military raised similar reservations about the India-US military exercises in August.
Bilateral ties between the two countries have suffered significantly since the June 2020 Galwan Valley confrontation between Chinese and Indian soldiers.
India has always emphasised the importance of peace and tranquillity along the LAC to the overall development of bilateral relations with China.
(With Inputs From PTI)