China, Pakistan to further boost military cooperation

NEW DELHI: China and Pakistan are set to further enhance military cooperation, especially in weapons production and anti-terrorism sector, reported the Chinese state-run daily.

The two countries will also jointly mass produce FC-1 Xiaolong, a lightweight and multi-role combat aircraft, reported Global Times, the Chinese Communist Party’s news outlet. In addition, the two agreed to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation and strike terrorist forces including China’s insurgent East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

These were the outcomes of meeting in Beijing between Army Chief Qamar Bajwa and a top Chinese military official, Fang Fenghui. In exchange for Beijing’s largesse, Islamabad agreed to ensure the safety of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” Pakistan and China enjoy a special friendly relationship with each other and have a common destiny,” Bajwa said at the meeting, according to a statement on the website of China’s defence ministry.

The talks will consolidate and deepen military exchanges between China and Pakistan, while new cooperation on military techniques might also be discussed, Song Zhongping, a military expert who served in the Second Artillery Corps (now known as the PLA Rocket Force), told the Global Times.

China’s authorization to Pakistan to produce ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-ship missiles and main battle tanks in Pakistan is also on the agenda, he added.

Pakistan has deployed more than 15,000 troops to protect CPEC and the country’s navy has raised a security contingent to protect the Gwadar Port, said Masood Khalid, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, at a news conference on Tuesday, according to Global Times. The Port is a key CPEC project.

As Pakistan faces frequent threats from terrorist forces such as the Taliban and al-Qaeda, military support is necessary to ensure a safe environment for the regions where there is huge investment from China”, said Zhongping.