Sri Lanka’s Marxist-leaning President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, one month after visiting India on his first overseas trip since winning election in September.

China and Sri Lanka have agreed on more investment and economic cooperation, after China's President Xi Jinping met recently elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Beijing on Wednesday.

India's navy on Wednesday simultaneously launched a submarine, a destroyer and a frigate built at a state-run shipyard, underscoring the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country's trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence.

The move underscores the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country’s trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence.

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday the launch of two Indian-made warships and a submarine was key to its “quest towards self-reliance”. New Delhi is expanding its armed forces to upgrade its mostly Soviet-era weaponry and respond to what many in India see as a growing threat from neighbours.