Joint drill by India & China armies in Dec.

After the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Indian and Chinese armies will now carry out their annual exercise “Hand in Hand” in December in Meghalaya as a confidence-building measure.

The exercise, planned for two weeks, will be company-level where around 120 troops from each side will be participating.

The exercise will focus on carrying out anti-terrorist operations and also human assistance and disaster management.

The exercise “Hand-inHand” is held annually.

But, it was not held in 2017 as both armies were locked in a 73-day standoff at Doklam.

However, the exercise was resumed in December 2018 after Mr Modi and Chinese President held their first informal summit at Wuhan.

Last year, the exercise was held in the Chinese city of Chengdu.

Earlier, these exercises were platoon-level and were later on upgraded to company-level.

In 2018, company-size contingents of 11 Sikh Li from the Indian Army and a regiment from Tibetan Military District of People’s Liberation Army had participated in the exercise.

These exercise are an attempt to improve relations between Indian and Chinese armies which were involved in scuffles at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the past.

After the Wuhan summit, a number of steps where outlined to be followed by both armies when border patrols come face to face at the LAC.