News Report: China and Pakistan Demonstrate Alliance, Flex Muscles During Joint Exercise

For the first time ever, a Pakistani fighter pilot has flown a Chinese warplane during joint combat exercises between the two Asian nations. The exercises, which lasted through most of September, took place in Xinjiang, the westernmost province of China that borders Pakistan.

The Shaheen-VI exercises, the latest in a series of annual joint drills between the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) that started in 2011, happened this year between September 5 and 25. They included many firsts, according to Chinese military sources, such as live-fire target practice, night warfare, and close support operations.

But the biggest news from the exercise came when Air Vice Marshal Haseeb Paracha, head of PAF's Southern Air Command, climbed into a Chinese J-11B fighter and flew a sortie as part of the exercises. This was the first time in history that a PAF pilot flew a PLAAF plane, a symbolic gesture of the tight bonds between Beijing and Islamabad.

"The air vice marshal was accompanied by Xin Xin, a vice-chief of staff of the PLA Air Force. This marks the first time that a Pakistani top military official has flown in China's new fighter jet," reported the Chinese military in a statement. "The Chinese warplane performed acrobatic maneuvers during the flight, drawing praise from Haseeb."

News Report: Japan Calls Out Pakistan on Terrorism, Backs India's Position

India and Japan have agreed to strengthen cooperation against global terror groups including al-Qaeda, Daesh and Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — Backing India's stand on cross-border terrorism, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe minced no words while asking Islamabad to bring to book the perpetrators of terror strikes, including those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2016 Pathankot terror attack in a joint statement issued after the 10th India-Japan Annual Summit.

"They shared the view that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is a global scourge that must be forcefully combated through concerted global action in the spirit of 'zero tolerance'," the joint statement read.

Shinzo Abe and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi also called upon all countries to work towards rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks, financing channels and halting the cross-border movement of terrorists, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

News Report: China, Russia, India Intensify Role in Afghanistan to Fight Homegrown Militants

Saibal Dasgupta

BEIJING — A decision by the BRICS nations to name and denounce specific terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere is sparking debate among academics and analysts in China.

Earlier this month, the group, comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, extended their support to Kabul’s counterterrorism efforts during a meeting in China. The move caused some nervousness in Islamabad, forcing Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif to first visit Beijing and then fly to Tehran, canvassing support for his country.

This was the first time China had publicly denounced Pakistan-based terror groups, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which had earlier been censured by the United Nations Security Council. Islamabad had reasons to worry about a possible change in Beijing’s attitude, particularly at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off aid if Pakistan did not change its approach to terrorism.