KARACHI: Pakistan and China have pledged to make their seas and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) safe from all kinds of threats.

At a joint media briefing on the third exercise between the Pakistan Navy and PLA Navy on Saturday, Commander of Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Arifullah Hussaini and Commander of Chinese Naval Task Group Rear Admiral Yu Manjian said the primary aim of the exercise was to help make international trade safe and smooth.

Highlighting the “time-tested friendship” as well as growing economic and military cooperation between the two countries, Rear Admiral Yu said it was an honour for him to be able to visit Karachi for the second time, the first one in February last year when he came to participate in the 6th International Maritime Conference here.

About the exercise, he said it was the third of its kind between the neighbours.

Vice Admiral Hussaini said that naval cooperation between China and Pakistan was as old as the friendship between the two neighbouring countries. “And now we are entering a new era where we must join hands in protecting our sea lines of communication,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2016