Armies of India and China hold meeting

Armies of India and China on Wednesday held a meeting at Nathu La in Sikkim sector with an aim to strengthen peace and tranquility along the Sino-India border.

The Special Border Personnel meeting took place as part of celebrations to commemorate the 91st anniversary of foundation of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Army said here, reports PTI.

The Indian delegation, comprising several officers and soldiers of the Army, attended the celebration following an invitation by the PLA.

"The PLA troops interacted with the visiting Indian delegation and presented a cultural programme comprising several events to celebrate the occasion," the Army said.

"As a gesture of goodwill, the Indian side also reciprocated with traditional cultural events to mark the occasion. Celebrations took place in a very festive environment and provided an opportunity to both sides to display their rich culture," it said.

The meeting between the two armies took place three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal summit in Wuhan in China with an aim to bolster bilateral ties which nosedived in the wake of the Doklam standoff.

"Such interactions between both armies have resulted in promoting mutual understanding and contributed towards achieving common goals of peace and tranquillity along the borders," the Army said.

In their informal summit, Modi and Xi had decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communication and build trust and understanding between the border guarding forces of the two countries.