Islamabad/Beijing, June 13
China and Pakistan have agreed to step up their defense and counter-terrorism cooperation amid “challenging times”, as Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa called for a comprehensive meeting with the Chinese military leadership to further strengthen their all-weather strategic partnership. Conversed.
General Bajwa held talks with top Pakistani defense officials on Sunday with a Chinese team led by Vice Chairman Central Military Commission General Zhang Yuxia in Qingdao, capital of East China’s Shandong province.
According to a statement by the Pakistan Army, Pakistan’s tri-services military delegation visited China from June 9 to 12, where it held extensive discussions with senior officials of the Chinese military and other government departments.
The top meeting was held on Sunday in which the Pakistani side was led by General Bajwa, while the Chinese side was led by General Zhang.
“The two sides discussed their perspectives on the international and regional security situation and expressed satisfaction at the defense cooperation between the two countries,” the statement said.
“Pakistan and China reaffirmed their strategic partnership in challenging times and agreed to continue the regular exchange of perspectives on issues of mutual interest. Both sides also vowed to enhance their training, technology and counter-terrorism cooperation at the tri-services level.
“China and Pakistan are forever strategic cooperative partners,” General Zhang said. He said that over the years the two sides have maintained close coordination and strongly supported each other on issues relating to each other’s core interests.
At the meeting, both sides strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Confucius Institute’s shuttle van at the University of Karachi in Pakistan in April and stressed that any attempt to undermine the Sino-Pakistan friendship is doomed to fail, the Chinese military said. he said. a statement.
On April 26, three Chinese teachers were killed when a burqa-clad female suicide bomber of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) detonated a van of the Confucius Institute in Karachi’s prestigious university.
The separatist BLA said it opposes Chinese investment in Pakistan’s resource-rich Balochistan province, saying it does not benefit the local people.
The BLA has targeted Chinese civilians on several occasions, as has the Pakistani Taliban.
China is involved in major infrastructure projects across Pakistan, including in Balochistan province.
During the talks, General Zhang said that China is ready to strengthen communication, strengthen cooperation, deepen practical exchanges with Pakistan and properly deal with the complicating factors in the regional situation, so as to ensure further development. to advance military-to-military relations. ,
General Bajwa said that Pakistan-China friendship is unbreakable and strong. Pakistan will stand firmly with China at any time, no matter how the international and regional situation changes.
He stressed that Pakistan strives to enhance dialogue and coordination with the Chinese military, maintain mutually beneficial cooperation, crack down on terrorist forces, improve the capabilities of both sides in dealing with various security challenges, share interests of the two countries. ready to defend. countries, and contribute to regional peace.
The visit was part of the Pak-China Joint Military Cooperation Committee (PCJMCC) – its apex committee, the highest military cooperation body.
The committee has two sub-committees which include Joint Cooperation on Military Affairs (JCMA) and Joint Cooperation on Military Equipment and Training (JCMET).
Relations between the two countries have grown rapidly in all areas, despite concerns from the West about China’s growing influence in the region.
Pakistan is dependent on China for military equipment and recently Beijing provided J-10 fighter jets to balance the strategic edge India got after buying Rafale jets from France.
Their multi-faceted cooperation has gained more importance in the context of rapidly changing regional conditions.