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| India-US joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’ ( Image Source : Twitter/@adgpi ) |
“The joint military exercise between India and the US close to the LAC at the China-India border violates the spirit of the agreement between China and India in 1993 and 1996,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing, PTI reported.
“It does not serve the mutual trust between China and India”, he said in response to a question posed by a correspondent from Pakistan.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s reference to the 1993 and 1996 agreements is significant because India has stated that the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) attempts to move a large number of troops to the disputed areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in May 2020 violated bilateral agreements that state that the boundary question is resolved through peaceful and friendly consultations.
The yearly military exercise between India and the United States aims to exchange best practices, tactics, techniques, and procedures between the militaries of the two countries.
“The 18th Edition of India-US Joint Exercise #YudhAbhyas commenced today at Foreign Training Node, Auli. The aim of the Joint Exercise is to enhance interoperability & share expertise between both Armies in Peace Keeping & Disaster Relief Operations. #IndianArmy #IndiaUSFriendship,” the Indian Army tweeted on November 19.
The previous edition of the exercise was held in October 2021 at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska, according to officials.
According to the government, troops from both countries will rehearse initiating rapid and coordinated assistance efforts in the aftermath of any natural disaster.
The exercise between the armies of India and the United States will allow both forces to share their diverse experiences, abilities, and approaches through information exchange.
(With inputs from agencies)
