Jakarta (ANTARA News) - China has offered to provide Indonesia with radars to monitor its archipelagic sea lanes, a defense ministry official said here on Monday.

However, Secretary General of the Ministry of Defense Eris Herryanto said: "No talks have been done to determine whether they would be given as a grant or other kinds of assistance. We have yet to discuss it."

He made the statement after accompanying defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro to a meeting with the commander of the Second Artillery Corps of the China`s People Liberation Army and member of the Central Military Commission, General Jing Zhiyuan.

Eris noted that Indonesia`s sea lanes needed to be secured.

He said the meeting also discussed the possible dispatch of Indonesian fighter pilots to China to train with a Sukhoi simulator. "China is open to help meet the needs of Indonesia," Eris added.

"The cooperation program has been developed because Indonesia does not have a Sukhoi simulator, although it has planned to acquire it this year," he explained.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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