EVIDENTLY, military cooperation and soldiers’ camaraderie between China and Pakistan has significantly cemented and galvanized in recent years–manifesting joint exercises/projects, producing armaments ranging from fighter jets to guided missile frigates. Both countries have generally pursued bilateral policy that focuses to strengthen their alliance in all areas of military to military interest. On 2 August, 2023, 96th Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China was commemorated at GHQ, Rawalpindi Pakistan. General Syed Asim Munir, the COAS was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Her Excellency Ms. Pang Chunxue, Chargé d’Affaires of the embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Major General Wang Zhong, Defence Attaché, Chinese Embassy officials & officers from tri-services of Pakistan attended the event.
Given the exigency of the sensitively growing and changing geopolitical dynamics– of the South Asian region wherein India has been attempting to impose its hegemonic designs in the region, glaringly marked by New Delhi’s unilateral move of revoking Kashmir’s special status in August, 2019–the two sides, China and Pakistan have come much closer to weave the fabric of their strategic ties through a military to military cooperation.
Most importantly, the China-Pakistan military partnership has deepened significantly over the past decade, approaching a threshold alliance. The trajectory toward a military to military alliance is the pivot of two countries’ past, present and future legacy. China is Pakistan’s most important defence partner since the end of the Cold War. Pakistan and China’s multifaceted cooperation has gained more importance in the context of fast-changing regional situations. In recent years, China and Pakistan have accelerated the tempo of joint military exercises which are growing in complexity and interoperability. Increasingly compatible arms supply chains and networked communications systems could allow the countries to aggregate their defence capabilities.
Beijing has become the leading supplier of Pakistan’s conventional weapons and strategic platforms and the dominant supplier of Pakistan’s higher-end offensive strike capabilities. Pakistan relies on China for military equipment. In July last year, the Sea Guardians – 2 maritime exercise jointly held by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and Pakistan Navy (PN) kicked off at a military port in Wusong, Shanghai. The four-day joint exercise, which is arranged according to the annual military cooperation plan of the two navies, has nothing to do with the regional situation and is not targeted at any third party.
Themed with “joint response to maritime security threats”, the Sea Guardians – 2 PLAN-PN joint maritime exercise aims to promote bilateral defence cooperation and enhance capabilities of the two militaries to jointly respond to maritime security threats, and to consolidate the traditional friendship between the two counties and two militaries, and push forward development of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic partnership of cooperation. For China, Pakistan and its access to the Arabian Sea is key in the event of a maritime blockade in the Strait of Malacca.
The prospects for China projecting military power over the Indian Ocean from Pakistan’s western coast are growing. Chinese basing has meaningful support within Pakistan’s strategic circles. The material and political obstacles to upgrading naval access into wartime contingency basing appear to be surmountable and diminishing over time.
Worth mention, Pakistan Navy-PLA Navy relations are a reflection of – Pakistan China strategic ties and range from training exchanges to high-level visits, port calls by ships, navy-to-navy expert-level staff talks and the regular conducting of bilateral exercises. I may highlight that the PLA Navy is among the world’s leading navies that now operates regularly in the Indian Ocean region, making collaborative maritime security our common interest for ensuring maritime security in the region. Pakistan Navy-PLA Navy interaction also provides an opportunity to enhance interoperability, share experiences to optimally utilize common sensors, iron out procedures and further elevate our relations.
In March 2022, China delivered six J-10CE fighter jets to Pakistan to counterbalance the strategic edge India gained after buying Rafale jets from France. The J-10CE is a so-called 4.5-generation fighter, placing it somewhere between the F-15s used widely by Japan and the U.S. and F-35 stealth fighters in terms of capability. The delivered jets later took part in a military parade in Pakistan. In January last year, Pakistan inducted a Chinese-built Type 054 frigate, which is designed for anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare.
China-Pakistan military cooperation is further endorsed by the fact China will continue firmly supporting Pakistan in safeguarding state sovereignty, national independence and territorial integrity, back Pakistan effort to pursue a development path that suits its national conditions and support Pakistan’s stability, development and prosperity. The Gwader deep sea port is the hallmark of Pak-China partnership.
Nevertheless, the peaceful environment is core to advance this bilateral strategic cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad which is intermittently disturbed by the enemy forces –whose evil objective is to destabilise Pakistan. Thus, both the countries give special attention to the security situation in Pakistan. The forces of terrorism, extremism and separatism represent internal threats to peace, security and prosperity of the two countries. China duly recognizes the sacrifices, Pakistan has rendered for curbing terrorism.
During General Asim Munir’s latest official visit to Beijing in April this year, the Chinese Ministry of Defence said it will work with Pakistan’s military to “further deepen and expand” the two nations’ mutual interests and jointly protect regional peace and stability. A statement by the Chinese defence ministry said Zhang Youxia, the vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, made the comments during his meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief.
In continuation of their pivotal military cooperation, based on the annual plan and bilateral consensus, China-Pakistan Joint Air Force Training Exercise Shaheen-X–are held in northwest China’s Jiuquan and Yinchuan– from last week of August to mid-September, according to a written statement released by China’s Ministry of National Defence on Saturday. This is the tenth joint training exercise between the Chinese and Pakistani air forces which will help further deepen practical cooperation between the two militaries and improve the level of actual combat training of their troops.
—The writer, an independent ‘IR’ researcher-cum-international law analyst based in Pakistan, is member of European Consortium for Political Research Standing Group on IR, Critical Peace & Conflict Studies, also a member of Washington Foreign Law Society and European Society of International Law. He deals with the strategic and nuclear issues.
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