Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif called upon General Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, on Sunday morning, according to a tweet by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj-Gen Asim Bajwa.

General Raheel Sharif left for a two-day visit to China on Saturday during which he is expected to meet China's political and military leadership to discuss issues pertaining to security and defence cooperation between the two countries.

Gen Fan termed 'China-Pakistan solid relations as strategic cooperative partnership' and called the two countries most important neighbours and iron brothers.

Showing solidarity with Pakistan against any challenge, "he praised 'Operation Zarb-i-Azb' and termed it as a decisive, indiscriminate, bold and hard blow for terrorists," said another tweet by the top military spokesman.

The vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission also praised Pakistan's national consensus reached against terrorism and the country's resolves, efforts, sacrifices in fighting the menace.

He also assured the visiting army chief of China's full cooperation in this regard.

This is General Sharif’s second visit to China since he assumed the command of the country’s military in 2013.

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Pakistan and China enjoy close military and defence ties and both countries often take part in joint military and air exercises.