China pledges cooperation in maintaining peace in the region.
The head of the Army travels to the PLA’s headquarters to have strategic talks.
ISLAMABAD:
A senior official from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) stated on Wednesday that China is eager to cooperate with the Pakistani military to increase cooperation and jointly protect regional peace and stability.
China’s Ministry of Defence reports that PLA Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia met with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir in Beijing and had a productive conversation.
The army commander went to the PLA headquarters to have talked about bilateral military cooperation and other areas of mutual interest, according to a statement released by the military’s media arm, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Since becoming leader of the Pakistan Army in November of last year, this is General Asim Munir’s first trip to China. The significance of the visit was emphasized by experts in light of recent significant geostrategic events in the area and beyond.
According to the ISPR, the COAS was given a hero’s welcome and a guard of respect upon his arrival at the PLA’s headquarters. After the formal greeting, we had a lengthy discussion with the PLA Army’s top officer.
We talked about our shared security concerns and ways we might work together militarily. According to the ISPR, the military leaders “reiterated the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and enhance military-to-military cooperation.”
The head of the PLA army also saw a demonstration of the troops’ operational capabilities and lauded their high training and professionalism, according to the military’s media arm.
The ISPR said that the army commander would continue to meet with Chinese military leaders in an effort to strengthen the traditional ties between the two countries armed forces. Whether or whether General Asim would meet with President Xi Jinping was unclear at press time.
Western officials in Islamabad are keeping a careful eye on the army chief’s trip to China because it will determine Pakistan’s future policy in light of the increasing conflict between Beijing and Washington, D.C.
Pakistan has tried to strike a middle ground in its relations with the major nations, but many analysts believe that sooner or later it would be forced to choose a side.
Former Board of Investment chairman Haroon Sharif, who has previous experience working with Chinese, believes that Pakistan cannot afford to cut ties with China due to the $30 billion in bilateral debt and prospective stakes.
Sharif claims that the United States has come to this conclusion after using the IMF programme as leverage over Pakistan.
The security of Chinese nationals and the financial stability of Chinese-run power plants are two of the main reasons why experts believe China will not provide free handouts to Pakistan.
In addition, China is concerned about the deteriorating political situation in Pakistan. Experts agree that China would be interested in hearing the army chief’s perspective on these topics.
