China ties important for us: AK Antony

New Delhi : Defence Minister AK Antony on Thursday said that India attaches great importance to its relations with China.

Addressing a function here after presenting the K. Subrahmanyam Award to Srikant Kondapalli, a noted scholar on Chinese Studies, Antony hoped the award would encourage others to undertake intensive research on the ‘rise of China as a superpower’.

?Today, the security scenario is constantly evolving due to the changing nature of conflicts. You must focus your energy on the strategy and force structures needed to face these unconventional threats and asymmetric conflicts,? he said at the 45th Foundation day of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).

?There are other issues that merit attention like defence reforms focusing on jointness, acquisition, offsets, development of India?s defence industrial base, terrorism, climate change and energy security. The challenge lies in producing original, high quality research studies with in a form that is useful for the policy makers,? Antony added.