China lauds Pakistan for its support in fighting terrorism, amid joint naval drills

China on Thursday lauded the Pakistan military’s “firm support” in its fight against terrorism and its backing for the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic

China on Thursday lauded the Pakistan military’s “firm support” in its fight against terrorism and its backing for the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference hailed the “traditional all-weather friendship” with Pakistan. (Reuters File)

China’s top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng met Pakistan’s chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, in Beijing on Thursday, state media reported.

The meeting, part of the 12th China-Pakistan defence and security consultation, comes against the backdrop of a bilateral naval drill in the Arabian Sea.

Gen Fang Fenghui, chief of the joint staff department under the China’s Central Military Commission, and Hayat conducted in-depth exchange of views on the international and regional security situations and bilateral military relations, the People’s Liberation Army said.

Rear Admiral Shen Hao, commanding officer of the Chinese naval fleet, said that in the joint maritime exercise, the two navies upgraded the coordinating and cooperative capabilities between their warships.

The joint exercise also helped deepen the mutual trust and cooperation between the two navies, he said.

At the top of the agenda in their talks was the CPEC.

Yu called for the implementation of the “consensus reached by the leaders of both countries to promote the construction of the CPEC and forge a community of shared future”.

Hayat was quoted by Xinhua as saying that Pakistan would like to increase cooperation between the two militaries and provide security for the construction of the economic corridor.

Fang said that the bilateral military relations between the two countries have maintained a healthy and stable development momentum, as evidenced by the in-depth and pragmatic cooperation in the areas of high-level contacts, joint training, weapons and equipment, anti-terrorism operations.