The Ministry of National Defense of China said on Wednesday that a People’s Liberation Army delegation had recently visited Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
The delegation visited the three South Asian countries from March 4 to 13, said a brief statement.
During their visits to three countries, it said the delegation met with the president of Maldives, and discussed respectively with the defense departments of the three countries on regional security issues of common concerns, developing bilateral military ties, and in particular promoting bilateral defense cooperation, the statement said.
A series of consensuses was reached, further enriching China’s military cooperation with the countries, it added.
This is seemed as a strategic move of China to increase its influence in the region against its rival India.
Last week, the Maldives had signed a “military assistance” deal with China after ordering Indian troops deployed in the small but strategically-placed archipelago to leave.
Beijing also enjoys close ties with Nepal, led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, an ex-Maoist guerrilla known by his nom de guerre Prachanda.
