ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has held a series of meetings with top Chinese political and military leaders and discussed with them defense modernization to combat transnational threats, the Pakistani military said on Friday.
The statement comes amid heightened tensions in South Asia after a four-day military standoff between Pakistan and India that saw the two neighbors attack each other with fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in their worst fighting in more than two decades.
Pakistan declared a victory in the standoff, saying its air force used Chinese J-10C aircraft to shoot down six Indian fighter jets, including three French Rafales, and the army targeted several Indian military installations during the recent flare-up.
Meanwhile, India plans to launch a $234 million incentive program for civil and military drone makers to reduce their reliance on imported components and counter rival Pakistan’s program built on support from China and Turkiye, Reuters reported this month.
“These engagements featured comprehensive exchanges on defense and security cooperation, including counterterrorism collaboration, joint training, defense modernization, and enhanced institutional linkages,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing said, after Field Marshal Munir’s meetings with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and top military commanders.
