China assures Lanka of military assistance
October 14, 2011 08:24 am
The Chinese army has assured its Sri Lanka counterpart of deepening the
military ties between the two countries. A senior-level delegation of China’s
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) called on the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant
General Jagath Jayasuriya.
The six-member Chinese delegation was headed by
Major General Qian Lihua, Chief of Foreign Affairs Office, Ministry of National
Defence, a statement released by the Lankan army said.
Lihua assured his Army’s fullest cooperation to
the Lankan army in several areas of its professional training, exercises and
further promotion of military assistance to the country on request, it said.
China is expected to offer 100 more de-mining kits
to the army for further acceleration of their work.
Lankan army’s de-mining students were trained in
China.
“We have assisted Sri Lanka in the past 25 years
or more.
In peacetime too, we wish to further extend our
assistance in all spheres,” Lihua said.
The Chinese officials also spoke on the
possibilities for increased intakes of Lankan trainee officers in military
academies in China, PTI reports.
