PM chairs CCS meet to discuss China's actions

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Tuesday to discuss the chill in relations with China and the stalling of defence ties with that country following Beijing's refusal to allow a visit by a senior Indian army officer.

The 90-minute meeting was also attended by India's Ambassador to China S Jaishankar who is understood to have briefed the CCS about the developments in the past few weeks which saw China refusing the visit by Lieutenant General B S Jaswal to that country.

National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon also attended the meeting. The consulations by the prime minister also come in the wake of reports of China posting about 11,000 troops in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Jammu and Kashmir which has been held by Pakistan.

India had conveyed its unhappiness over China's refusal to allow Gen Jaswal's visit by summoning Chinese Ambassador to India Zhang Yang to the Ministry of External Affairs. Retaliating to the snub, India refused permission to two Chinese defence officials to do a course at the National Defence College. A subsequent visit by Indian military officials to China was also cancelled.

Earlier in the day, Defence Minister A K Antony reviewed the security scenarion in the wake of reports suggesting the presence of Chinese soldiers in parts of Jammu and Kashmir held by Pakistan and deployment of missiles along India's eastern borders. The meeting reviewed the preparedness of the armed forces after reports emerged about Chinese military posturing along Indian borders and presence of more than 11,000 Chinese troops in Gilgit and Baltistan-- Indian areas under Pakistani occupation, they added.