Indian Defence Minister A.K Antony will visit China on July 4 to meet his Chinese counterpart and State Councillor General Chang Wanquan. Antony will be accompanied by a high-level delegation from the Indian Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces.
The two sides are expected to discuss matters related to maintenance of peace and tranquillity on the border, exchanges between the Armed Forces of the two countries and issues relating to regional and global security; in addition to the proposed Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) between India and China.
The visit follows the 16th round of border talks between the Special Representatives of India and China held in Beijing on June 28-29. During this meeting, the Special Representatives continued their discussions on a framework for the resolution of the India-China boundary question.
The visit coincides with the visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to China on July 4. According to Chinese Ambassador to Islamabad Sun Weidong, Pakistan and China are expected to discuss cooperation in the fields of energy, infrastructure, agriculture and people-to-people contact. The two nations are also expected to sign an agreement on energy cooperation.
The last visit by an Indian Defence Minister to China took place in 2006.