The newly appointed Defence Attaché at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka, Senior Colonel FU Xiao, paid a courtesy call on Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha at the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry said.
The Deputy Defence Attaché and the Naval Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo also accompanied the new attaché for the meeting, according to the Ministry’s statement carried by Ada Derana.
During the call, the Defence Secretary and the Chinese Defence Attaché held cordial discussions on matters of mutual interest and bilateral defence-related affairs, the Ministry said.
The introductory call adds to a busy run of defence diplomacy under Thuyacontha, who in recent weeks has represented Sri Lanka at the 14th International Meeting of High-Ranking Officials Responsible for Security Matters in Moscow, where he reiterated the country’s commitment to the Indian Ocean as a “zone of peace”. The Defence Secretary also held bilateral talks with Russian Deputy Justice Minister Maxim Osmakov and Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Vladimir Venediktov on the sidelines of the Moscow gathering, and earlier hosted Vietnam’s Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Phan Văn Giang in Colombo.
China is one of Sri Lanka’s longest-standing defence partners, with cooperation spanning training, equipment transfers and naval visits, alongside extensive infrastructure investment.
