(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-19 19:21

About 100 Indian ground troops arrived in southwest China's Yunnan Province Wednesday for a joint anti-terrorism military training with the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The training, code-named "Hand-in-hand-2007" will last until December 27 in Yunnan capital Kunming, a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Office of China's Defense Ministry said in Beijing.

The PLA has also sent about 100 soldiers to attend the nine-day-long training, the first ever joint anti-terrorism military training held between ground troops of the armed forces of China and India, the spokesman said.

Both sides will send military observers to view the training, he said.

"The training aims to enhance mutual understanding and mutual trust between Chinese and Indian armed forces, strengthen their exchanges in the field of anti-terrorism, deter the 'three evil forces' of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and promote the all-round development of the bilateral strategic partnership towards peace and prosperity," he said.

The spokesman did not provide further details.