A six-member high-powered team from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army is on a three-day visit to Trinidad and Tobago for discussions with the Defence Force.

The team headed by General Ma Xiaottian, Deputy Chief of General Staff paid a courtesy call on THA Chief Secretary Orville London on Monday at the Calder Hall Administrative Complex. Chinese Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Yang Youmin accompanied the team to Tobago.

Commenting on the visit, Chief Secretary London said the Assembly was very honoured to have hosted the team from the Chinese military. He said according to the General they were visiting Trinidad and Tobago to have discussions with the Defence Force and as part of the consultations and deliberations necessary they can share information and tactics to hopefully upgrade the capacity of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.

London added: “We in Tobago are very pleased that the Chinese consistently indicate their desire to ensure that Tobago is not left out of any national activities. In fact China is one of the countries, which as a matter of course celebrates its major Spring Festival event in Tobago and in Trinidad separately.

London said this was a very positive signal and it does speak of the kind of relationship which had developed between the people of China and the people of Tobago over the years and was therefore not surprising.

“We definitely appreciate the fact that they took the opportunity to pay this visit to Tobago and the Office of the Chief Secretary. It was a brief visit but I think we all appreciated the intent to signal there is an appreciation of Tobago as a special and important island in the country of Trinidad and Tobago.