General Liang Guanglie's trip -- the first by a Chinese defense minister in eight years -- also highlights growing competition between the two emerging powers as they jostle for influence and resources across Asia.
Yet his trip to Sri Lanka just prior to arriving in India is unlikely to soothe Indian feelings of Chinese efforts to surround India:
"The PLA's (People's Liberation Army) efforts in conducting friendly exchanges and cooperation with its counterparts in the South Asian nations are intended for maintaining regional security and stability and not targeted at any third party."
Still, for China there is no down side to trying to calm relations with India--without giving up anything of substance to India to actually resolve sources of tension--as Chinese assertiveness against rival sea claims from the South China Sea up to Japan and South Korea has been ramped up.
The diplomatic effort is especially worthwhile for China because Chinese efforts to build up forces and transportation infrastructure on their side of the border have outstripped Indian efforts, and it would be a success of Chinese diplomacy to slow Indian defense efforts by making India feel more secure with Chinese intentions.
As an aside, why is China's defense minister still calling the Chinese armed forces the "PLA?" I thought that term was obsolete?
