SL greatly values China’s friendship - Army Commander
Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army
(PLA) General Ma Xiaotian, who arrived here together with a seven-member
military delegation on a goodwill visit, called on Army Commander Lt.
Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya at the Army Headquarters last morning.
The Chinese Deputy Chief of General Staff was accorded a guard of
honour by Sri Lanka Armoured Corps troops of the Sri Lanka Army on
arrival at the Ministry of Defence grounds.
Army Commander Lt.Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya who received General Ma
Xiaotian had a cordial exchange of views on a wide range of matters of
interest, covering core training modules that could be shared with the
Sri Lanka Army.
The Sri Lanka Army Chief recollected the training he received at the
Chinese Defence University (NDU) where General Ma Xiaotian was the
Commandant at that time.
The visiting Chinese military leader, keen on receiving
clarifications and some specific details on the conduct of humanitarian
operations in the recent past, made a couple of relevant inquiries with
a view to grasping issues in a broader perspective.
Lt Gen Jayasuriya spoke highly of the Chinese Army’s unfailing
support, being extended uninterruptedly to the Sri Lanka Army by way of
accommodating more and more Army personnel in different PLA training
institutes in China.
He also thanked the Chinese government and recalled with gratitude
the quantum of military assistance provided to the country by the PLA
when terrorism was at its peak, undermining Sri Lanka’s territorial
integrity. The Commander reminded the visiting top ranking senior
officer of how the Nation as the war was on, looked at the true friends
of Sri Lanka with a deep sense of pride and appreciation.
The visiting Chinese General spoke about the historical ties that
exist between both countries and which continue to grow at many
different levels, with special focus on generosity, being lent to Sri
Lanka’s infrastructure development. Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya and
General Ma Xiaotian exchanged mementos to mark the occasion.
China, aworld power to be reckoned with is fully committed to a free
trade economy and has been a true friend of the country for generations.
The PLA as the world’s largest standing Army, has been assisting Sri
Lanka with the express intention of elevating multiple professional
standards of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces for the past few years,
particularly after President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government was voted to
power.
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