Deputy Chief of the Office for International Military Cooperation (OMIC) of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Major General Zhang Baoqun met Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne at the Defence Headquarters Complex, Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte today (Mar 07).
Extending a warm welcome to the Chinese delegation, Gen. Gunaratne expressed his sincere gratitude to Maj. Gen. Baoqun for the Chinese assistance in multiple spheres including defence cooperation.
Maj. Gen. Baoqun recalled the long-standing friendship between China and Sri Lanka, which dates back to many centuries to the arrival of the Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian (Fa-Hien) to the island, which was then one of the most flourishing centres of Buddhism. Further, he also recalled the Ceylon-China Trade Agreement of 1952, also known as the Rubber-Rice Pact which had longstanding economic benefit to both countries.
The meeting provided a platform for both dignitaries to exchange perspectives on prevalent regional security challenges and explore avenues for joint initiatives on enhancing maritime security collaborations on mutual ground.
Maj. Gen. Baoqun highly appreciated the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan government to maintain military-to-military cooperation and highlighted the importance of further enhancing existing goodwill and friendship. He further stated that the Chinese government is looking forward to continuing the support in terms of military assistance in the future as well.
The meeting concluded with the sharing of souvenirs to mark the occasion. Acting Additional Secretary (Defence) Harsha Vithanaarachchi, Military Liaison Officer Maj. Gen. Dhammika Welagedara and senior tri forces officers joined the Defence Secretary at the discussion.
