Pakistan, China reaffirm commitment to strengthen military-to-military cooperation

Pakistan and China reaffirmed on Friday their shared commitment to revitalize the existing bilateral ties in military-to-military cooperation and strategic alliance between the two countries.

This was expressed during a meeting between Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and Chinese Defence Minister, Admiral Dong Jun at the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Headquarters in Beijing, China, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release today.

The Chinese commander expressed his admiration for the professionalism of Pakistan Air Force personnel.

“Both Commanders agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to further enhance the existing collaboration between the two air forces,” the ISPR said.

Both sides also agreed on enhancing Air Force-to-Air Force cooperation, particularly through complex and aggressive tactical-level scenarios during aerial exercises.

“The cooperation is aimed at addressing challenges in multiple domains during joint exercises, equipping air and ground crew of both Air Forces with the skills necessary to counter modern Air and Space Warfare challenges effectively,” the military’s media wing said.

The air chief also met People’s Liberation Army Air Force Commander General Chang Dingqiu, and Director General Bureau of Military Equipment & Technical Cooperation (BOMETEC) Major General Cao Xiaojian.

“The visit aimed at enhancing the existing strategic partnership between the two nations, included high-level discussions and agreements geared towards deepening military cooperation,” the press release added.

In a separate meeting with Major General Cao Xiaojian, Marshal Zaheer highlighted the significance of “exploring opportunities for technology transfer and collaborative development of advanced military hardware aimed at enhancing the operational capabilities of both sides”.

During his meeting with the industrial heads of Chinese Defence Industry, Marshal Zaheer invited Chinese companies to participate in the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park being spearheaded by Pakistan Air Force.

“He highlighted that NASTP offers a tax-free regime and an optimum environment for the development of pioneering initiatives in Unmanned Aerial Systems, Advanced Guided Weaponry, Space Programs, Electronic Warfare domains, Cyber Warfare, ISR as well as multi-domain operations.”