BEIJING, Jun 28 (APP): Federal Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s visit to China has not only showcased the profound foundation of the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, but also opened up a new developing way for future bilateral defense cooperation, Prof. Cheng Xizhong, Senior Research Fellow at the Charhar Institute, said on Saturday.
During the visit, Khawaja Asif highly praised the important role played by China recently in preventing the escalation of tensions and conflicts in the regions, emphasizing that the Pakistani side cherishes its “ironclad friendship” with China.
He made it clear that Pakistan is willing to coordinate with China to implement the three major global initiatives, namely the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, deepen practical cooperation in the field of defense, and work together with China to maintain regional peace and stability.
This statement not only reflects Pakistan’s adherence to the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, but also reflects its strong willingness to deepen defense cooperation with China in the current complex and ever-changing regional security scenario, Prof Cheng said in a statement.
Prof Cheng said that over the years, China and Pakistan defense cooperation has achieved fruitful results. From the procurement and joint research and development of military hardware to the training and exchange of military personnel and joint military exercises, the cooperation between the two countries continues to deepen. The visit of the Defense Minister to China this time has provided an opportunity for both sides to further expand their cooperation areas.
In terms of military equipment cooperation, the majority of Pakistan’s military hardware comes from China, and the Pakistani side is quite satisfied with the performance and combat effectiveness of the Chinese equipment. Khawaja Asif has made it clear that the Pakistani side maintains close contact with the Chinese side in purchasing and jointly developing new equipment, and will continue to purchase weapons and equipment from China in the days to come. This not only reflects the trust of the Pakistani side in China’s military equipment, but also indicates that the cooperation between the two sides in the field of military equipment will continue to deepen.
In terms of military training and personnel exchange, both sides are expected to further strengthen the exchange and cooperation between military academies of the two countries, carry out more joint military training, enhance the coordinated combat capabilities of the two militaries and the professional competence of military personnel. Against the backdrop of complex and ever-changing regional security situation, through joint training and personnel exchanges, the two militaries can better understand each other’s tactical and strategic concepts, and enhance their ability to respond to common security threats.
He said that at present, the regional security situation is facing many challenges, and factors such as terrorist threat within the region also bring uncertainty to regional peace and stability. In this context, deepening defense cooperation between China and Pakistan is of great significance for maintaining regional security and stability.
By deepening defense cooperation with China, Pakistan can enhance its own defense capabilities and maintain regional military strategic balance. In terms of responding to regional terrorist threats, cooperation between China and Pakistan in intelligence sharing, joint counter-terrorism operations and other areas can effectively combat terrorist groups and maintain regional security and order.
The visit of Khawaja Asif to China has injected new impetus into the defense cooperation between China and Pakistan. The new consensus reached by both sides on the basis of traditional friendship will promote bilateral defense cooperation in more fields and at a higher level, playing a more important role in maintaining regional peace and stability, he added.
APP/asg