Top Chinese general visits Pakistan amid ongoing counterterror drill

By Aamir Latif Riyaz ul Khaliq

KARACHI / ISTANBUL (AA) – A top Chinese general visited Pakistan amid an ongoing joint counterterrorism military exercise in five years.

Gen. Zhang Youxia, who is vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, met with Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

The duo had one-on-one meeting before delegation-level talks, said a statement from the Pakistani military.

Zhang’s visit to Pakistan came after China flew some 300 troops to Pakistan for Warrior-VIII drills which will run between late November to mid-December amid heightened concerns over targeted attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

According to the Pakistani military, the meeting between Zhang and Munir focused on “matters of mutual interest, regional security dynamics, measures for regional stability, and enhancing bilateral defense cooperation.”

While Munir underscored the “enduring and all-weather nature of Pakistan-China relations, Zhang Youxia expressed “deep appreciation for Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to their strategic partnership.”

Munir thanked Beijing for “standing firmly with Pakistan, irrespective of changes in the international and regional environment.”

The joint exercise between the two militaries focuses on joint counterterrorism clean-up and strike operations.

The most recent joint exercise in this series took place in 2019, with this year's exercise marking the eighth such drill between the two nations.

In October, a suicide bombing in Pakistan killed three people, including two Chinese nationals, and injured 17 others.

In March, an attack in northwestern Pakistan claimed the lives of five Chinese workers and their Pakistani driver.