Big Boost For India-China Relations with Internal Security Agreement

India and China are set to sign an internal security cooperation agreement during the visit of China’s Minister of Public Security, marking a new beginning in bilateral relations between two Asian neighbours. This was preceded by meeting between Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan last year in April.

Zhao Kezhi, China’s Minister of Public Security, is scheduled to visit India next month and hold meetings with Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which they will discuss multiple aspects of security collaboration between the two nations.

During the visit of the Kezhi, an agreement on internal security cooperation between the two countries will be signed, a home ministry official said.  The proposed agreement is anticipated to cover various domains including intelligence sharing, exchange programme, sharing of best practices and partnership in disaster mitigation.

Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal summit in Wuhan, China, in April this year which helped restore bilateral relations. A Chinese delegation met an Indian team on August 28 to hold discussions on the impending visit of the Chinese Minister of Public Security and the proposed agreement on security cooperation between the two countries, the official said.

The much-anticipated meeting may lead to a future India-China agreement on the exchange of convicted prisoners, an Indian official stated. Currently, India does not have an extradition treaty with China, neither an agreement on swapping of prisoners.