China, Pakistan FMs expected to discuss security cooperation, to India’s chagrin

The Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s three-day visit to China is expected to highlight both nations’ growing enthusiasm for deepening defence and security cooperation, analysts say.

However, as Dar’s first overseas trip since the military tensions with neighbouring power India, it is likely to be viewed by New Delhi as a show of support for Islamabad – despite the likelihood that it was arranged well before the conflict, together with trilateral talks between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, they added.

Dar, who is also deputy prime minister, will be in Beijing until Wednesday. He is expected to hold bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as well as take part in a trilateral foreign minister-level strategic dialogue with Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister.

Lin Minwang, a professor and deputy director at Fudan University’s Centre of South Asia Studies, said Beijing and Islamabad would now hold a deeper recognition of the necessity of their defence cooperation – an important issue that could come up in bilateral talks.

“Following the skirmishes and the unexpected success of Pakistan’s Chinese-made fighter jets and missiles, both nations are likely to show heightened enthusiasm and initiative to deepen their military and defence collaboration,” he said.

Among the most striking revelations of the recent hostilities was Pakistan’s reported success in shooting down French-designed Rafale aircraft using the J-10C fighter equipped with active radar-guided long-range air-to-air PL-15 missiles, also from China.

Темы и теги

мир Политика