The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is celebrating its 98th anniversary this year. The PLA has come a long way. It started as a revolutionary group and, through continuous improvement and investment in modernization, has become a formidable force today.
A unique aspect of the PLA is that it not only invests in its own development but also helps friendly countries’ armed forces grow, with the Pakistani armed forces being one of them and the most prominent one. Since the late 1950s, the PLA and the Pakistan Armed Forces have built a strong bond. This bond has grown steadily under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Pakistan.
The leadership of the CPC and Pakistan has devised a wise, multidimensional, and comprehensive policy and framework to steer the cooperation. The CPC entrusted the PLA, and Pakistan entrusted the armed forces with implementing the leadership vision. Since then, the PLA and the Pakistan armed forces have been working tirelessly to strengthen and deepen the relationship and ensure the smooth execution of cooperation policies.
The analysis of cooperation shows that both countries’ armed forces work together across many levels and areas. Over time, they have improved collaboration in technology, modern warfare, joint exercises, and intelligence sharing through surveillance. The PLA has earnestly helped the Pakistani armed forces build their capabilities by establishing production facilities and creating self-sufficiency to help Pakistan face current and future challenges. For example, the navies of both countries are working closely to protect the seas and trade routes. Pakistan is gaining from Chinese advanced technologies, such as Chinese frigates (Type 054A/P), the guided missile frigate Tughril, and submarines (Hangor-class), among others.
Pakistan and China have also strengthened their cooperation in the air domain, and both countries are collaborating to develop a robust and dependable air defense system. They have achieved many milestones together. The Pakistan Air Force’s dominance during the recent war with India can be credited to the success of their cooperation, which has grown over the decades. After the war, both air forces agreed to expand and deepen their collaboration in new areas. PLA ground forces and the Pakistan army have also developed a close bond and unique relationship. The relationship is unique because both forces have complete trust in each other. Therefore, they work together in various domains without any fear of betrayal or cheating. The cooperation ranges from joint training exercises to co-production of weapons. China has helped Pakistan develop modern weapons and establish production facilities like Heavy Complex Wah, among others.
Both countries’ armed forces have also established strong connections for training and joint exercises. They have created permanent mechanisms to ensure the continuity of training and joint exercises. The PLA Air Force and Pakistan Air Force regularly conduct exercises under the ‘Shaheen’ series. The navies organize ‘Sea Guardians’. Additionally, PLA ground forces and the Pakistan army jointly perform exercises called ‘Warrior’.
It is pertinent to note that the armed forces also played a significant role in accelerating economic cooperation and led the implementation of many projects. For example, the PLA and Pakistani forces jointly built the Karakoram Highway in the most challenging terrain in the world. Now, the Pakistani army is ensuring the safety of CPEC investments in Pakistan. Moreover, the armed forces are contributing to the country’s foreign exchange earnings. For example, the jointly produced JF-17 Thunder is proving to be a good source of foreign earnings for Pakistan.
In a nutshell, the relationship between the armed forces of both countries is deep-rooted, diverse, and comprehensive. The relationship has withstood all challenges, and rather than growing weaker, it has become stronger with each one. The most distinguishing characteristic of the PLA and the Pakistan armed forces relationship is that it is not directed against any specific country or third party. The relationship has been built to maintain and strengthen peace and stability in the region and beyond.
However, now the relationship is entering a new era, one characterized by challenges and disturbances. The struggle for dominance and hegemony has intensified. Geopolitical changes are happening at an unprecedented pace. The sole global superpower, the USA, is in retreat, and over the last decade, this process has accelerated due to its policies and actions. The USA, once a proponent of globalization, is now working to reverse that trend. It is busy building walls and destroying bridges. President Trump’s trade policies seem to be the final blow.
The Russia-Ukraine war has destabilized global peace and the economy to some extent. It is a constant irritant, rather than a threat to the stability, peace, and development in Europe and the Eurasian region. Palestinian genocide has broken the image of the civilized world and exposed the ugly face of the West’s so-called human rights. The hegemonic aspirations and overweening desires of India have destabilized South Asia and are creating problems in the surrounding areas of China. Indian attitude brought the region to the verge of a nuclear war.
On the other hand, the USA and its allies are vigorously opposing China’s peaceful rise. They are targeting China at every front, including the Belt and Road Initiative. They are also pressuring Pakistan to curtail its relationship with China and come out of the CPEC.
In this context, the armed forces of both countries must be vigilant and take all necessary measures to counter geopolitical threats and protect their relationship. It is worth noting that both armed forces are aware of the situation and are refining their relationship in response to new realities and evolving needs. First, they have expedited cooperation in the field of technology across all defence sectors. China has intensified efforts to build the capacity and capability of Pakistan to produce modern instruments of defence.
Second, they are focusing on building strong mechanisms of joint training and exercise. It is direly needed in the context of regional dynamics and global geopolitics. We have seen in the recent past that the USA, its allies, and India in the region have accelerated their efforts to create problems for China and Pakistan. The most prominent example is QUAD, which has been specifically designed to contain China and Pakistan. The USA is also engaging QUAD countries and other allies in the region to conduct joint exercises.
Third, both forces have enhanced their coordination to remain updated in the changing dynamics. It helps them prepare for future challenges and unforeseen circumstances. It is also required because they are running malicious campaigns aimed at creating a misunderstanding between the two countries. They are also trying to create confusion about Muslims in China to sow seeds of distrust.
In conclusion, the PLA and the Pakistan armed forces should further strengthen their ties in the changing geopolitical landscape to maintain a strategic balance in South Asia and beyond. It is widely known that Western countries are positioning India as an alternative to China. Therefore, they prefer to collaborate with India and build Indian capacity to counter China by selling all kinds of weapons. Simultaneously, they impose sanctions on Pakistan to inhibit its weapons purchases. In this context, China and Pakistan are likely to deepen their cooperation, and it is encouraging to note that both armies are already working on it.