Sri Lanka - China Defence Ties Reaffirmed at PLA 98th Anniversary Celebration
July 31, 2025Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara, graced the 98th Anniversary celebration of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as the Chief Guest. The event was held on 30 July at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo.
Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) was also in attendance. The dignitaries were warmly welcomed by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Qi Zhenhong.
Addressing the distinguished gathering, the Deputy Minister conveyed warm greetings to the PLA on behalf of the President of Sri Lanka and commended the PLA’s 98 years of remarkable history, resilience, and evolution in overcoming the diverse challenges of modern warfare and security.
He highlighted the deep-rooted friendship between Sri Lanka and China, forged through centuries of cultural exchange and strengthened over 68 years of formal diplomatic relations. He also recalled the landmark state visit of His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka to the People's Republic of China in January this year, hosted graciously at the invitation of His Excellency the President of the People's Republic of China. The visit reaffirmed the shared values of independence, self-reliance, solidarity, and mutual assistance as enshrined in the historic Rubber-Rice Pact, while paving the way to further deepen the Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two nations.
The Deputy Minister expressed profound appreciation for China’s steadfast defence cooperation with Sri Lanka, acknowledging its invaluable assistance during the three-decade conflict and its active role in post-conflict development initiatives that uplifted the livelihoods of war-affected communities.
He also commended the PLA’s continued support in capacity building, training, and professional exchange programmes, particularly in strengthening the operational capabilities of the Sri Lankan tri-forces.
The event was attended by former Presidents, Ministers, members of the diplomatic corps, tri-forces commanders, Defence Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, senior military officers, and other distinguished guests.
