Pakistan Army, PLA continue bilateral military cooperation, Army chief says
- Both the militaries continue their bilateral cooperation: COAS.
- “The relationship between the Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army is strong.”
- No force can destroy the brotherhood between the two armies: Zaidong.
Revitalising bilateral ties between Pakistan and China, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Muneer said the two countries “have an exceptional relationship and have always weathered the vicissitudes of the strategic environment with mutual trust and belief in unwavering support for each other.”
The Army chief made the remarks during a ceremony marking the 97th founding anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Thursday said.
According to the military’s press wing, the guest of honor at the event was Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong. It was attended by defence attaché Maj. Gen. Wang Zhong, Chinese embassy officials and officials from Pakistan’s three services.
Welcoming the Chinese guests, General Munir congratulated the PLA and praised its contributions to China’s defence, security and national development.
In his address, the Army chief said bilateral relations between Pakistan and China are “exceptional” and based on “unwavering faith in each other’s support”.
“The relationship between the Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army is strong and the two militaries continue their bilateral military cooperation, demonstrating the strong brotherhood between the two countries,” he concluded.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Zaidon expressed his gratitude to Army General Munir for hosting the PLA’s 97th anniversary celebrations.
“Pakistan’s armed forces have always been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and have made huge sacrifices for the peace and stability of Pakistan and the region,” the diplomat said.
“We are ready to work with our brothers and sisters in the fight against terrorism and firmly believe that no force can destroy the solid friendship between China and Pakistan and the brotherhood between our armies,” he concluded.
Prior to this prestigious event, Liu Jianchao, Director of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC), paid a three-day visit to Pakistan last month and co-chaired the third meeting of the Pakistan-China Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM) for political parties on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
According to ISPR, during his meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Muneer, he praised Pakistan Army for ensuring security of Chinese nationals and supporting projects in the country.
The two leaders also discussed issues of mutual concern, including regional peace and stability, and reviewed the progress of multi-billion dollar CPEC projects.
The top commander reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to its strategic partnership with China and pledged full support for the successful implementation of CPEC, the flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Chinese investment and financial support to Pakistan since 2013 has been a boon to the South Asian country’s struggling economy, including refinancing loans to help Islamabad meet external financing needs at a time when foreign exchange reserves are extremely low.
Beijing is investing more than $65 billion in roads, infrastructure and development projects under CPEC as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
