China visit strengthens Tonga Defence Services [1]
Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 10:00. Updated on Friday, January 29, 2016 - 10:58.
From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
The working co-operation between the Tonga Defence Service and the People’s Republic of China military establishment was further consolidated following a visit to China by the Commander of the Tonga Defence Service, Lt. Col. Tau‘aika ‘Uta‘atu, Lt. Com. Satisi Vunipola, and Maj. Siamelie Latu from May 13-20.
It was Lt. Col. ‘Uta‘atu’s first visit to China, but it was the second high level visit from the Tonga Defence Services, following the first by the Minister of Defence Prince ‘Ulukalala Lavaka Ata and the former commander of the TDS Col. Fetu‘utolu Tupou in 1999 when they established the working co-operation between the two countries.
Lt.Col. ‘Uta‘atu said that the visit was to learn more about China, and they visited four cities, Beijing, Qingdao, Shanghai and Su Zhou.
In Beijing the Commander met General Fu Quanyou, the Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army of the People’s Republic of China, and a member of the Central Military Commission. They also visited the 196 Army Brigade, the 24th Air Division and the National Defence University, which Maj. Latu attended for four months last year.
Lt. Col. ‘Uta‘atu said that in Beijing they also confirmed a place for an officer from the TDS to attend the National Defence University every year starting next year, doing post-graduate studies.
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Chinese Aid
He said that since the working co-operation was established in 1999, there had been three high level visits from the Chinese military to Tonga and about $250,000 pa‘anga worth of assistance had been given to Tonga in the form of uniforms and tents. “Another half a million pa‘anga worth of assistance will also be arriving in June, including 800 uniforms and 43 pieces of weight-lifting equipment and computers.”
Assistance already received includes a martial arts expert and an interpreter attached to the TDS to teach unarmed self defence for a year, starting in April.