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Chinese naval ships to visit India on goodwill mission

Chinese Navy ships will visit India on a goodwill mission next month as part of normalisation of military-to-military relations between the two countries, official sources said in New Delhi.

Though details were being worked out, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy ships are likely to dock at a southern or western port in the third week of May, the sources said.

The friendly port call by PLAN ships to India would be yet another symbol of normalcy in India-China military relations strained following the Pokhran nuclear tests in May, 1998.

The visit of PLAN ships to India follows a similar visit to China by two Indian Navy ships in September last year.

'INS Delhi', a destroyer and 'INS Kora', a corvett, had visited the east China port of Shanghai for three days.

Though the Chinese Navy declined to participate at the International Fleet Review held in Bombay in February, it had indicated that Chinese naval ships would pay a return friendly port call during the first half of the year.

The Chinese ships will also visit Pakistan as part of the high-profile events to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Islamabad on May 21.

Chinese premier Zhu Rongji is scheduled to visit Pakistan from May 11 to 14 as part of these celebrations.

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