China pledged greater defense cooperation with its “iron brother,” especially on counter-terrorism.
While U.S. President Barack Obama watched India’s Republic Day parade as the chief guest, China welcomed Pakistan’s army chief, General Raheel Sharif, to Beijing for talks. While in the Chinese capital, Sharif met with General Qi Jianguo, deputy chief of the PLA General Staff, General Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China’s central Military Commission, and Yu Zhengsheng, the chairman of China’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
The main focus of the visit was on Pakistan’s anti-terrorism efforts. Pakistan launched a major counter-terrorism operation, code-named “Zarb-e-Azb”, last summer. The military offensive has reportedly killed in part targeted terrorists affiliated with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a radical group that seeks to create an independent state out of China’s Xinjiang province. China, which grew increasingly worried about Pakistan’s security situation as terrorist attacks on Chinese soil escalated last year, applauded the operation. However, concerns about Pakistani security continue to dog China, both due to worries about stability in Xinjiang and because of the way instability hinders bilateral economic cooperation, including plans for a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
In the wake of a deadly attack at a Peshawar school, Pakistan’s government promised to double down on its efforts to eradicate terrorism within its borders. During his trip to China, Sharif was expected to brief his Chinese counterparts on Islamabad’s progress in that respect, according to Pakistani media. Sharif was also set to discuss general security and defense cooperation issues with China.
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