Centering Multiple Inline Elements

Centering works without problems even if there is not one, but several inline elements:

<div class="parent">
	<span class="child">text</span>
	<span class="child">text</span>
	<span class="child">text</span>
</div>

.parent {
	text-align: center;
	padding: 10px 0;
	border: 1px solid red;
}
.child {
	border: 1px solid green;
}

There is a certain div, and in it there are links:

<div class="parent">
	<a href="">link 1</a> <a href="">link 2</a>
	<a href="">link 3</a>
</div>

.parent {
	padding: 10px 0;
	border: 1px solid red;
}

Place the links in the center of this div.