China and India continue thaw in relations

BEIJING, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- An eight-day visit to China by India's army chief ended Wednesday with the two nations pledging to continue the thaw in relations, Xinhua news agency reported.

Chief of Army Staff Gen. N.C. Vij met with Chinese military leaders, including Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan and People's Liberation Army chief Liang Guanglie, during the first visit by an Indian army chief in a decade.

"Trust between the two militaries has deepened in recent years as bilateral cooperation enhanced in all fields," Vij said during meetings.

The world's most populous nations, China and India fought a war in 1962 over their 2,200-mile border, and other issues have divided them, in particular China's close ties with Pakistan and India's giving sanctuary to the Dalai Lama.

However, relations have warmed rapidly in recent years. Former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited China in June 2003. The two nations conducted their first joint naval exercise in November 2003, and Cao visited India in March of this year. Meanwhile, trade between the two nations grew to more than $1.2 billion in 2004.

"The development of Sino-Indian relations is the need of the times and the common aspiration of the people of both countries," said Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong.