NEW DELHI - India and China have agreed to hold their first ever joint army exercise as part of a wider effort to improve ties between the one-time Asian enemies, military officials said Thursday.

Indian army chief, General J.J. Singh is seen in New Delhi in May 2007. India and China have agreed to hold their first ever joint army exercise as part of a wider effort to improve ties between the one-time Asian enemies, military officials said Thursday. [AFP]

The manoeuvres are slated for October and will see 100 Indian troops sent to China for a workout in anti-terrorism tactics, the Indian army chief, General J.J. Singh, was quoted as saying by the Indian Express newspaper.

"We had a small thing earlier -- not an exercise but a mountaineering expedition -- two years ago," army spokesman Colonel S.K. Sakhuja told AFP.

The agreement comes after the army chief visited China at the end of May, which the defence ministry said had led to a decision on "engagement and mutual confidence building" including more joint training exercises.

The two nations -- who fought a brief but bloody border war in 1962 -- conducted joint naval exercises in the East China Sea in 2003, but otherwise cooperation between two of the world's largest armed forces has been scant.

India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometres (14,670 square miles) of its territory, while Beijing claims 90,000 square kilometres, or the whole of the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Diplomatic contact between the two economic rivals has increased in recent years, with many bilateral visits and two-way trade touching two billion dollars a month.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao meanwhile met Thursday for a second time in seven months, with Singh promising "to do everything possible to cement our relationship."

The 30-minute talks were held in Germany, where the two leaders are attended a Group of Eight summit, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

"Our government and people, regardless of their political affiliations, want the strongest relationship with China," Singh was quoted as saying.