Leading News from Sri Lanka::

* China to strengthen defense ties with Sri Lanka, plans to gift a frigate

Tue, Jul 24, 2018, 09:21 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

July 24, Colombo: Sri Lanka and China have vowed to strengthen defense ties as China wishes to boost the development of Belt and Road initiative to strengthen the pragmatic cooperation between two countries and two militaries.

At a reception held at the Chinese embassy in Colombo Monday evening to celebrate the 91st founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Senior Colonel Xu Jianwei of the Chinese Embassy said the Chinese military attaches great importance to improving relations with the Sri Lankan military and in the past few years, the two militaries had witnessed the deepening communication and cooperation in the areas of personnel training, joint training and maritime security.

Xu further said China's armed forces advocate a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and will continue to develop military-to-military relations that are non-aligned, non-confrontational and not directed against any third party.

"China is willing to enhance mutual strategic trust and is keen to see both countries continue supporting each other on issues of core interest."

As part of their mutual military trust China will continue to provide various training courses for the Sri Lankan tri-forces, to complete building a Chinese-funded auditorium complex at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, and make preparations to hand over a gift frigate to the Sri Lanka Navy, ChinaMil reported Tuesday.

Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary, Kapila Waidyaratne, who was the chief guest at the event, said China had always been a valuable partner of Sri Lanka and the two nations had enjoyed diplomatic relations for 61 years, supporting each other in the regional and international sphere while making efforts to deepen pragmatic cooperation, Xinhua reported.

Waidyaratne said China's assistance in providing military equipment and technology to Sri Lanka indicated the success of the bilateral military relationship between the two nations.

He further said Sri Lanka was grateful to China for all the aid it had provided and the unconditional and open-ended support it had provided for strengthening Sri Lanka's security forces.

The Ambassador of China Cheng Xueyuan, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, opposition leader R. Sampanthan, Ministers, high-level military, police and government officials, members from diplomatic corps, attended the reception.