China said Thursday it was willing to conduct more military exercises with India, following a successful first-ever training run between the regional rivals' armed forces this week.
"We believe (joint military exercises) are helpful in building mutual trust and promoting co-operation, especially in the fields of security and combating non-traditional security factors," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said. "We hope that such activities can continue and will be increased in a way that is helpful to improving the stability and security of this region."
The two nations wrapped up their historic military exercises in southern China on Tuesday with a drill in which they wiped out a group of supposed terrorists who were operating along their common border.
The three-hour drill was the culmination of five days of exercises between about 100 troops from each of the two nations' militaries. Qin said that exercises between the two neighbours could become a routine part of relations between the two countries' armies.
"As for the future of these activities and the institutionalisation of these activities, we maintain a constructive attitude and we welcome India to provide us with comments and suggestions," Qin said.