Regional, global politics on the agenda for army chief in Beijing
• Field Marshal Munir meets VP, foreign minister, key PLA generals; pledges support for China’s global initiatives
• Wang backs ‘resolute efforts’ to combat terrorism in all forms; COAS reiterates commitment to safeguard Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan
• Both militaries agree to improve ‘operational interoperability’ and strategic coordination
KARACHI: The evolving regional and global political landscape and connectivity initiatives under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) were on the agenda as army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir held a series of high-level meetings with political and military leaders in Beijing.
According to inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief was in China on an official visit, where he met Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as key generals from the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).
Among other things, discussions focused on the need for coordinated responses to shared geopolitical challenges, ISPR said.
The visit comes just weeks after Field Marshal Munir became the first Pakistani military chief to be invited to lunch at the White House. The army chief has already won praise from President Donald Trump over his leadership during the India-Pakistan escalation in May.
According to the Xinhua news agency, VP Han said that bilateral relations between the two countries were marked by high-level mutual trust, solidarity through challenges, and a shared future.
He said China is willing to work with Pakistan to “implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen all-weather friendship, expand all-round cooperation, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era”, Xinhua reported.
Noting that developing friendly cooperation with China is the consensus of the entire Pakistani society, it quoted Field Marshal Munir as saying that Pakistan firmly stands with Beijing and supports its global initiatives.
The Pakistani military is ready to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and continuously deepen the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China, Xinhua quoted the army chief as saying.
In their earlier meeting, Foreign Minister Wang — who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party’s Central Committee — said the Pakistani military was a firm supporter of the friendship between both countries.
China and Pakistan have extended unwavering mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests, Wang said.
“China supports Pakistan’s resolute efforts to combat terrorism in all forms and hopes the Pakistani military will continue to make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” Xinhua quoted the foreign minister as saying.
In response, Field Marshal Munir reassured Wang that the Pakistani military would continue taking all necessary measures to safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions within its territory, and stands ready to actively strengthen counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement added that the Chinese leadership lauded the armed forces of Pakistan as “a cornerstone of resilience and a vital contributor to peace in South Asia”.
The military engagement between both sides included “comprehensive exchanges on defence and security cooperation, including counterterrorism collaboration, joint training, defence modernisation, and enhanced institutional linkages”, it said.
“Emphasis was placed on improving operational interoperability and strategic coordination to confront hybrid and transnational threats,” the ISPR added.
The army chief also met General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission; PLA Political Commissar General Chen Hui; and PLA Chief of Staff General Cai Zhai Jun.
According to ISPR, these engagements featured comprehensive exchanges on defence and security cooperation, including counterterrorism collaboration, joint training, defence modernisation, and enhanced institutional linkages.
“Emphasis was placed on improving operational interoperability and strategic coordination to confront hybrid and transnational threats.
“The Chinese military leadership reiterated full confidence in the strength of the bilateral defence partnership and acknowledged Pakistan’s pivotal role in promoting regional peace,” it said.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the People’s Liberation Army headquarters, the COAS was presented with a guard of honour, symbolising the longstanding camaraderie between the two armed forces.
Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2025
