Gen Raheel Sharif reviewes guard of honor along with his Chinese counter part, Gen Qi Jianguo, at PLA Headquarters. PHOTO: ISPR
There is an ongoing churn in the regional dynamic that is in large part driven by two linked actions of the US — one being the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the other being the pivot in the direction of the Pacific region. Regional players are adjusting accordingly, and Pakistan and its close ally, China, no less than others. At the forefront, once again, is Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, who has been doing a lot of travelling in the service of the state in the last two months. He was in Beijing last weekend, coinciding with the visit of President Barack Obama to India. He was there at the invitation of the Chinese to meet and share a range of views and information with the Chinese civilian and military leaderships. The mood music over the two-day visit was mellow and though there was none of the effusive body language that there was between President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all the indications were that the visit had gone well for both sides.
China has been a good friend to Pakistan for many years. During the course of the visit, it was reiterated that China had a consistent policy towards Pakistan and that the concerns of Pakistan are the concerns of China — and with extremism and terrorism at the forefront on the minds of both governments, there is little doubt as to the subtext of that comment. Counter-terrorism and the long-term defence relationship are to be enhanced. The Indian swing away from Russia towards the US in terms of defence procurement was noted, which will have far-reaching implications. Pakistan and China will be expanding their military equipment development programmes that have been jointly conducted for more than 20 years. Intelligence is to be shared, a vital aspect of the relationship, particularly relative to unrest in the ethnic Uyghur provinces of southwest China. There were no surprises but a sense of methodical adjustment to existing relationships to take account of an evolving world. General Raheel was doing much the same in Kabul, London and Washington recently, and we should expect the maintenance work to continue.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2015.
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I wonder if Tribune is a Pakistani newspaper?? If it is then why are there so many blatantly anti-Pakistan comments so openly published while at the same time anti-Indian and pro-Pakistan comments censored?? Is ET funded by RAW? Or is this due to ET's collaboration with NYT?? ISPR should take note of this nonsense. Enough is Enough!!
@AVMPolpot: So when will the COAS visit Delhi? When he is sitting on a tank leading the charge!!
The fact that it is the Pakistani General whose visit makes such news shows how far Pakistan has to travel to be a democracy.
But, the very same factor of Militaristic dominance in Pakistan makes it an ideal friend to a totalitarian, militaristic China...
@ Abreez Old capital of Pakistan from 1206 to 1857 was Delhi? Surely, you couldn't have internalized and rationalized all the delusional propaganda in to believing this nonsense. The rest of your post is even more bizzare. You have had an overdose of Rooh Afza or Kool Aid.
The world has been witnessing a great collaboration between a Godless tyrannical State and a non-secular tyranical state. All dissimilarities vanish because of one common denominator: tyrannical.
So when will China's Xi Jingping visit its Iron Brother?
The Indian swing away from Russia towards the US in terms of defense procurement was noted, which will have far-reaching implications. 1. American made it easier for Pakistan to build its relations with Russia and Iran. 2. Pakistan’s relations with Russia and Iran will create $10-12 trillion economy. 3. Now Pakistanis will ask for their old capital Delhi which remain capital of Pakistan from (1206-1857) 4. American blunder ruined the credibility of ‘House of Boney’ and now no one can stop anti-American sentiments. 5. American realized the world that for every country its personal interest comes first, therefore ‘hypocrisy’ is the best policy.
" General Raheel was doing much the same in Kabul, London and Washington recently, and we should expect the maintenance work to continue." So when will the COAS visit Delhi?
" Changing Dynamics" Frankly the change is in the absolute domination of the Military in Pakistan's Foreign Affairs. Now what will NS do except writing letters to Indian PM.