China, Pakistan defence cooperation pillar of all-weather strategic partnership: We Fenghe

BEIJING: Chinese Defence Minister, Wei Fenghe said on Monday that China and Pakistan defence and military cooperation was the pillar of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

He made these remarks while talking to visiting Defence Minister, Engr Khurram Dastgir Khan in a meeting held here.

The Chinese defence minister acknowledged the unprecedented sacrifices made by the armed forces and people of Pakistan during the ongoing fight against the menace of terrorism.

Wei Fenghe said that China supported Pakistan’s stance over longstanding Kashmir issue, which was pending unresolved for the last 70 years.

He said that all-weather partnership and the defence military cooperation between the two countries helped maintain a strategic balance in the region.

Khurram Dastgir discussed way and means to further strengthen defence cooperation between the two countries.

He also briefed the Chinese defence minister about the latest situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir and massive human rights violations by Indian troops against the innocent Kashmiris.

Meanwhile, Khurram Dastgir met Defence Minister of Belarus, Andrei Ravkov on the sidelines of SCO defence ministers meeting here.

Both the ministers discussed bilateral defence and military cooperation during the meeting.

They agreed to further broaden and deepen the defence cooperation and said, this cooperation should be visible in the bilateral relations of the two countries.

Khurram Dastgir is visiting China on a two-day official visit to attend a meeting of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The SCO, an inter-governmental organization, founded in Shanghai, China on June 15, 2001, now includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and India as full members.

Pakistan and India were admitted as full members of the organisation at the summit in Astana last year.