A high-level Chinese Army delegation is in India as part of the bilateral efforts to strengthen military-to-military ties.

According to the Army, the Chinese delegation, led by Lt. Gen. Liu Xiaowu, Deputy Commander of the Western Theatre Command, visited Delhi and Agra before heading to the headquarters of the Sukna-based 33 Corps.

“This visit is seen as a major initiative to strengthen the relationship between the armed forces of both nations,” the Army said in a statement.

It said the visit was in “consonance with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Wuhan summit, where both leaders reaffirmed the need to strengthen bilateral ties.”

The Chinese delegation, comprising 10 senior military officials, has been interacting with senior Indian military leaders.

“India and China had endorsed the need to resume the military ties when Mr. Modi met Mr. Xi at an informal summit at Wuhan in China in April this year,” the Army said. The visit of the Chinese delegation to the local military headquarters is “a significant step towards increasing interactions at the level of military commanders, and implementation of various agreements to maintain peace.”