GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — China will provide pilot training and Chinese-manufactured equipment to Guyana's tiny military as part of a campaign by the Asian economic giant to build stronger links with the resource-rich South American nation.

Army Chief of Staff Gary Best announced China's latest military assistance agreement with Guyana on Thursday. He recently completed an 11-day visit to Beijing, where he held talks with government and military authorities.

China, which established diplomatic ties with Guyana in the 1970s, has been providing assistance to the former British colony's government and military for years.

Few specifics about the latest agreement with China were disclosed, but Guyana spokesman Kwame McKoy described the military pact as "routine stuff," part of "ongoing agreements with China reflecting the need for sharing of knowledge and expertise."

In recent years, China has financed a textile mill and farms here, while Guyana has maintained its "one-China policy," which does not favor independence for Beijing's rival, Taiwan.

China views the self-governing island of Taiwan as a renegade province and refuses to have diplomatic ties with nations that recognize it.

Guyana, where top exports include gold and diamonds, also regularly receives aid and training from Britain and the United States.

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