India and China on Wednesday conducted a joint military exercise in eastern Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.

The day-long exercise focused on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief, in which a fictitious scenario of earthquake striking an Indian Border village was emulated, an official statement said.

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The statement described the exercise as part of an "ongoing initiative to enhance interaction and cooperation between India and China." It further added that it boosted "trust and cooperation between the two border guarding forces along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh."

The recent army exercise was a sequel to the first Joint Exercise held on February 6 in the Border Personnel Meeting Hut at Chushul Garrison of Eastern Ladakh together with Chinese troops of Moldo Garrison.

The first exercise in February was held in the Chinese side, and this time, they opt for the Indian side along the line of Actual Control, Times of India reported citing sources familiar with the matter.

The second such exercise to be held by the two nations, the joint exercised called "Sino Indian Cooperation 2016" was held under the provisions of Border Defense Cooperation Agreement, 2013, according to Economic Times.

Leading the Indian team is Brigadier R S Raman, while the head of the Chinese team is Sr Col Fan Jun.

Describing the exercise as a great success, the official statement said it has "not only refined the drills to provide succor to the border population in case of natural calamity but has also increased the level of trust and cooperation between the two border guarding forces along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh."

The exercise complements the Hand in Hand series of the India-China joint exercises and the effort of both countries to promote peace and cooperation along border areas.

TagsIndia, china, joint military exercise, India and China border, India China Military Exercise 2016