China and Pakistan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral military cooperation and strategic coordination, with the Chinese Defence Ministry describing the relationship between the two countries as an enduring iron-clad friendship.

Speaking at the monthly press briefing on Thursday, Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesman Colonel Jiang Bin commented on the recent high-level exchanges between the two countries during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to China.

Responding to a question regarding meetings between Chinese and Pakistani leaders and military officials, Colonel Jiang Bin said China and Pakistan were good neighbours linked by mountains and rivers, good friends who trust each other, good partners who support each other, and good brothers who stand together in difficult times.

Colonel Jiang Bin highlighted the close military ties between the two countries and said practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results in the areas of strategic communication, joint exercises and training, personnel exchanges, and defence equipment and technology cooperation.

He said a series of joint military exercises between the armies, navies and air forces of the two countries, including the ‘Warriors’, ‘Ocean Guards’, and ‘Eagles’ exercises, have become hallmark projects of bilateral defence cooperation.

The spokesman said China was willing to work with Pakistan under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries to carry forward traditional friendship, enhance strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and firmly support each other on issues concerning core interests.

He added that both sides would continue to elevate military-to-military relations and contribute to building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, while jointly promoting regional and global peace, development and security.

Colonel Jiang Bin noted that in the 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the friendship between the two countries has withstood changes in the international landscape and continued to deepen among the peoples of both nations.

Pakistani friends often describe China-Pakistan friendship as ‘Higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans and sweeter than honey,’ while the Chinese people affectionately refer to Pakistan as ‘Iron Pakistan’, he said.