India summoned China's ambassador on Friday to protest against the refusal of a visa to an Indian general from the held Kashmir, the latest spat between two Asian giants jostling for global influence and resources. A defence ministry source and some local media said defence ties, so far been limited to visits by military officials and the occasional exercises, were suspended, but the Indian government did not confirm this.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony said "ties with China will continue". Last year, India protested against a Chinese embassy policy of issuing different visas to residents of held Kashmir. "While we value our exchanges with China, there must be sensitivity to each others' concerns," an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.
Underlining fresh tensions, India summoned Chinese ambassador Zhang Yan to complain about the denial of visa to the army general, according to senior foreign ministry officials. Despite decades of mistrust, China is now India's biggest trade partner and the current spat, one of several over the last few years, is unlikely to snowball. The value of bilateral deals was expected to pass $60 billion this year, a 30-fold increase since 2000, raising the stakes in maintaining peace.