Pakistan and China agreed on Sunday to enhance their long-term defence relationship as well as counter-terrorism cooperation as army chief General Raheel Sharif held wide-ranging talks with top Chinese military authorities in Beijing.
The pledge by both Islamabad and Beijing coincided with US President Barack Obama’s visit to India where he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to deepen security and defence ties between their countries.
A security official told The Express Tribune that Pakistan-China bilateral relations assumed ‘greater significance’ in view of the changing regional dynamics.
Although Pakistan has not officially reacted to long-term Indo-US defence deals, the official cautioned that the move could have far-reaching implications.
“The Indian ambition to acquire defence equipment from the United States shows its intent to become a military power and this is something both Pakistan and China cannot overlook,” said the official, who requested not to be named.
Without delving into details, the official said Gen Raheel during his talks with China’s top military leaders discussed the impending challenges the region may face in the wake of realignment.
Gen Raheel and his Chinese counterpart General Qi Jianguo discussed a full range of regional security and defence-related issues, said the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement.
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