Sri Lanka, China discuss expanded defence cooperation

The newly appointed Defence Attaché of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka, Senior Colonel Fu Xiao, paid a courtesy call on Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) at his office in Colombo yesterday (June 15).

During the meeting, the Deputy Minister and the Chinese Defence Attaché held cordial discussions on matters related to bilateral defence cooperation and other areas of mutual interest.

The Deputy Minister acknowledged China’s longstanding support in defence cooperation, particularly in military training and the professional development of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

He also outlined Sri Lanka’s current strategic shift from a land-based force posture towards enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness, while reaffirming the country’s commitment to a balanced and non-aligned foreign policy.

Both sides identified several key areas for future collaboration, including maritime security efforts to combat drug trafficking, arms smuggling and human trafficking.

They also discussed cooperation in technology integration, training and simulation programmes, and disaster management.

The Deputy Defence Attaché and the Naval Attaché of the Chinese Embassy were also present at the meeting.