The visiting Commander of the Army’s arrival at China’s Nanjing Army Command and Staff College, operating under the direct leadership of the General Staff Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of People’s Republic of China (PRC), assumed greater significance afterwards on Sunday (10) afternoon when the Sri Lankan Army Chief was honoured by inviting him to be a distinguished guest at Nanjing Military Area Command (Nanjing Garrison) Headquarters since it was the first time a Commander of the Sri Lanka Army had the rare distinction of meeting a high profile Area Commander like the Commander of the Nanjing Military Area Command (Nanjing Garrison), Lieutenant General Liu Di Axis.

Soon after the day’s earlier commitments with the academic and administrative authorities of the Nanjing Army Command and Staff College in Nanjing, the Commander, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya and his delegation were invited to the office of the Nanjing Military Area Command, Commanded by Lieutenant General Liu Di Axis.
 
Lieutenant General Liu Di Axis, together with a couple of his senior officers welcomed the entourage and presented them with a brief account of what its mandate and responsibilities are in the specific area of command.
 
Those Chinese officers, inquisitive of how the humanitarian operations in Wanni were conducted to a successful completion defeating terrorism, spoke high of the achievements of the Sri Lanka Army and appreciated the close relations between both armies.
 
Towards the end of the meeting, Lieutenant General Liu Di Axis, adding a memorable dimension to the visit, presented the visiting Commander with a special memento. Lieutenant General Jayasuriya reciprocated the gesture, awarding a souvenir that depicts Sri Lanka’s rich cultural traditions. The office of the PLA’s Nanjing Military Area Command later on hosted the visiting retinue to dinner, the same evening (10).