China and Nepal are set to hold their first ever joint military drills on counterterrorism and disaster preparedness in February in what military analysts would increase Nepal's existing tension with India.

Chinese defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said on Friday that China and Nepal are currently "in initial communication" on the planned joint military exercises and that details of the drills will be announced at a later date.

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The Kathmandu Post reported that Nepal has confirmed its joint exercises with China. The two countries reportedly agreed to hold the drills in the northern part of Nepal in the second week of February.

Pratikar-I

This will be the first time that the Nepali Army will hold joint military drills with Beijing. The Nepali military has been holding joint military exercises with other countries including the United States and India.

"Nepal and China have been exchanging military delegations, visits and courses but such kind of drill is taking place for the first time," Nepali army spokesman Brigadier Tara Bahadur Karki was quoted as saying by the paper.

The planned exercises, dubbed Pratikar-I, will involve a platoon-size of troops from both sides and will focus on counterterrorism exercises and disaster management, the defense ministry said.

Underway

Yujun said he had nothing more to add to the details of the proposed military exercises and told reporters that the ministry would provide further details in the coming weeks.

Yujun added that preparations for the joint drills are underway and that the two sides have been in touch to sort out details of the planned joint exercises.

The Kathmandu Post said that the planned military engagement between China and Nepal would create more tension between India and Nepal whose relations have further deteriorated over a protracted border blockade last year.

A Nepalese high-ranking defense official downplayed the joint drills saying the exercises have no "strategic implications" in relation to the country's conflict with India.

TagsChina-Nepal joint military exercises, Nepal, border blockade, military delegations, Pratikar-I, Kathmandu Post, strategic implications, china, President Xi Jinping