Sri Lanka and India vowed to strengthen military ties and widen maritime links with neighbours after security talks, the president's office said Sunday, as China's economic clout increases in the region. China, a long-time regional rival of India, has been widening its footprint in the region, including building ports and expressways and upgrading airports in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Saturday with recently elected Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and discussed setting up a maritime research coordination centre, Rajapaksa's office said in a statement. It did not give details of the proposed centre, but said other nations in the region should be included as observers.