COAS Bajwa, Chinese defence minister discuss bilateral, regional issues

BEIJING: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Xi’an and discussed issues of common concern, such as the current international and regional situation, ARY News reported on Monday.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army Chief met the Chinese defence minister during his two-day official visit to China.

During the meeting, Wei Fenghe expressed his condolences over the deaths due to the severe floods in Pakistan and said that China and Pakistan were all-weather strategic partners.

“We should work together on the way forward, take care of each other, and unswervingly support each other’s core interests”, the Chinese minister said.

He said, no matter how the world situation changes, the rock-solid friendship between China and Pakistan will never change. “In recent years, relations between the two militaries have maintained a good development trend,” he added.

The two sides should further enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation, continue to improve their ability to jointly respond to various risks and challenges, and work together to safeguard the common interests of the two countries and regional peace and stability, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, COAS Bajwa thanked President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government and army for their strong assistance to the floods in Pakistan. “Pakistan and China are hardcore brothers, and their friendship is unbreakable,” he added.

The army chief reiterated that Pakistan firmly adheres to the one-China policy and will strive to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Pakistan.

It is hoped that the two countries will deepen exchanges in economic, trade, disaster relief and other fields, and further improve the level of cooperation between the two armies.