CDS HOLDS BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE COUNTERPART

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva WWV RWP RSP VSV USP ndc psc MPhil who was on a visit to China to attend ‘10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum’ held a bilateral discussion with General Lu Zhenli, a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and Chief of the Joint Staff Department, CMC, the People’s Republic of China.

General Shavendra Silva during the long held bilateral dialogue with General Lu Zhenli thanked the Chinese government for the invitation and highlighted that forums of this nature provide much needed knowledge sharing opportunities among friendly nations. CDS further paid his gratitude on behalf of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces to the Chinese Armed Forces for the continued assistance extended over the past years. He particularly thanked them for the assistance extended by way of providing infrastructure facilities and allocation of more vacancies to train the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. Further, he stated that military diplomacy with China would strongly continue having an understanding of the geopolitical situation.

During the discussion, General Lu Zhenli thanked the CDS as the senior most uniform officer of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces for accepting the invitation to present at the ‘10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum’ to share knowledge and expertise with the participants. During the meeting, a number of matters related to the defence were taken into the discussion which would facilitate the development of Defence Forces of both nations.

The promising meeting was terminated with the exchange of plaques to mark the occasion and assure the continued relations between the armed forces of the two countries. Sri Lankan Defence Advisor in China Colonel Bandula Kodippily together with Defence Attaché of China in Sri Lanka Senior Colonel Zhou Bo accompanied the CDS to this event.