Opening ceremony for the seventh Sino-India joint exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018, scheduled from 10 to 23 December 2018 was held on Tuesday at Chengdu in China. Company size contingents of 11 SIKH Light Infantry (LI) from Indian Army and a regiment from Tibetan Military District of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) participated in the exercise.
The Indian contingent was led by Colonel Puneet Pratap Singh Tomar, Commanding Officer of 11 SIKH LI, while the Chinese contingent was led by Colonel Zhou Jun. Major General Kuang Dewang, senior representative of joint training from PLA, reviewed the parade in presence of a number of officials from both the nations.
According to a press release, the Hand-in-Hand 2018 exercise will consist of a balance of indoor classes and outdoor training activities. The aim of the exercise is to build and promote close relations between armies of both the countries and to enhance ability of the joint exercise commander to take military contingents of both nations under command. The Hand-in-Hand 2018 exercise will involve tactical level operations in an international counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment under United Nation mandate.
