No hidden agenda - Chinese official
17 September 2015 09:57 pm
Senior Colonel Li Chenglin, the Military, Naval and Air Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka yesterday (17) said that there was no hidden agenda behind the military training taking place between the two nations.
He made these remarks when he paid a courtesy call on State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene at the Defense Ministry yesterday.
The Senior Colonel explained that about 200 Lankan army officers were receiving military training in China per annum and that in return Chinese security forces personnel were receiving military training in Sri Lanka at Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) and Staff College at Batalanda.
He also said China had sent representatives to the Joint Field Training Exercise titled ‘Cormorant Strike’ organised by the Sri Lanka army, which commenced this month."Our military relationship is based on mutual understanding," he said adding the two nations shared many historic ties other than military ones.
State Minister Wijewardene praised China for their continuous assistance provided to Sri Lanka and its people.
(Lahiru Pothmulla)