China, Pakistan to keep close military ties, says Beijing spokesman

A spokesman of the Chinese Defence Ministry Colonel Yang Yujun said at a weekly news briefing that China and Pakistan will keep up their decades' old close strategic military-to-military partnership. Replying to a question about the deployment of Navy at Gwadar Sea Port for ensuring smooth operation of shipments, he said the two countries would work closely for strengthening operation at the Port, which would contribute to regional economic development.
China-Pakistan, he said were all-weather strategic co-operative partners. The two militaries have maintained close and practical exchanges and cooperation. The two navies had also maintained friendly exchanges and cooperation in such fields as port calls of naval ships and replenishment at ports, etc, he added. About the recent visit to China by Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh, the spokesperson said Singh held meetings and talks with General Xu Qiliang, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission and General Li Zuocheng, Commander of the PLA Army.
The two sides exchanged in-depth views and reached broad consensus on the further development of bilateral military relations, the enhancement of army-to-army exchanges and cooperation, and the cooperation on border management and control and border defence.
Commenting on the reports that the Chinese military has been seen operating in eastern Afghanistan along the border with China, Colonel Yang Yujun said they noticed the report. Actually, the report by some foreign media about Chinese military vehicles entering the territory of Afghanistan for patrol is inconsistent with the fact.
According to the information from relevant departments, in recent years, the law enforcement agencies of China and Afghanistan, according to their agreement on strengthening border law enforcement cooperation, have been discussing on conducting joint law enforcement activities, preventing and combating terrorist activities and organized cross-border crimes along the China-Afghanistan border, he added.
About the joint training of the mountain infantry troops from the armed forces of the SCO member states, he said in recent years, various forms of exchanges and cooperation, including joint military training and exercises, among the member states of the SCO, had been normalised and institutionalised, which served the fundamental interests of the member states of the SCO and contributed to maintaining regional peace and stability.