Indian military delegation to visit China

The 30-member Indian military delegation to China was reduced to 15 after the neighboring country refused visa to a senior air force officer from Arunachal Pradesh, media reports said on Saturday.

The delegation is scheduled to leave for China on Sunday.

Group Captain M Panging was part of the team that was to travel to Beijing on Jan 10 for a four-day defence exchange programme that was reciprocal to one undertaken by the Chinese last month and is part of the confidence building measures between the two South Asian rivals.

The reasons for his visa being rejected were not shared with media.

The 30-member delegation, led by an Air Vice Marshal-rank officer, from the of the army, navy and air force were to spend time in Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai.

China lays claim over Arunachal Pradesh and has often denied visa to those hailing from the state despite protests by India.

Earlier in 2010, the then Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General B S Jaswal was denied a visa as he was serving in Jammu and Kashmir - a state that Pakistan has made claims over - leading to souring of bilateral relations and a suspension of all defence exchanges.

Jaswal too was to head a military delegation to China under the defence exchange programme.

The ice between the countries thawed after India sent a delegation under a Major General in June last year, since which two more visits have taken place place between the the two nuclear-armed neighbours.