Islamabad: The Chinese military is keen to work with the Pakistani military to “further deepen and expand” cooperation and jointly protect regional peace and stability.
Zhang Youxia, the vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, made these comments during his meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Syed Asim Munir, who is on his maiden visit to Beijing.
General Zhang emphasized the strong bond between China and Pakistan “as all-weather strategic cooperative partners” and iron-clad friends and said that “no matter how the international situation changes, China always gives Pakistan priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy,” according to the Chinese defence ministry statement.
Gen Zhang added that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is “willing to work with the Pakistani military to further deepen and expand their pragmatic cooperation and jointly safeguard the common interests of the two countries, as well as regional peace and stability.”
Gen Munir expressed the Pakistani military’s eagerness to enhance collaboration with China across multiple domains, with a view to promoting regional and global peace and stability.
On the first day of his four-day official visit to China, Gen Munir received a warm welcome and was presented with a guard of honor at the PLA Army Headquarters, said a statement by the Pakistan Army’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
In his detailed meeting with the Commander of the PLA Army, the two commanders emphasized the importance of maintaining regional peace and stability in the region, as well as enhancing military-to-military collaboration. Pakistan’s army chief is scheduled to meet Chinese military leaders in China to “strengthen the longstanding relations between the two militaries.”
The visit comes amid the current political, economic, and security challenges faced by Pakistan. The two countries share a strategic partnership and engage in multilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
This is Gen Munir’s fourth foreign visit since assuming the role of army chief in November 2022. He has previously visited UAE, Saudi Arabia and the UK.
