China, Pakistan undertake military exchanges

BEIJING: A spokesperson of Ministry of National Defence (MND) senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang announced here that China and Pakistan will continue to undertake high-level military exchanges during the year.

Speaking at a regular news briefing, he said “The military exchanges and cooperation programs between China and Pakistan this year are still being discussed. China and Pakistan share an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The two sides have maintained a very high-level defense and military exchanges and cooperation, he added.

Replying to a question, the spokesperson further said, China believes that the China-Pakistan military exchanges and cooperation will surely facilitate our state-to-state relationship and also contribute to regional peace and stability.

When asked about China military-to-military relations with India, he said China is willing to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, accumulate strategic mutual trust, promote mutually-beneficial cooperation and ensure the normal development of the relationship between the two militaries.

The specific exchange programs between the two militaries are currently under consultation and we will release information in due course.

About the reforms in the Chinese military, the spokesperson said, to deepen the reform of the People’s Armed Police Force (PAPF) is a strategic measure to fully implement the absolute leadership of the Party over China’s armed forces and to build a modernized armed police force.

According to the decision by the Central Party Committee, from January 1st, 2018, the Armed Police Force is put under the unified and centralized leadership of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC), and adopt a CMC-PAPF-troops leadership and command system. At present, the adjustment and reform of the PAPF’s internal security corps, mobile corps, colleges, scientific research institutions and training facilities have been basically completed.

The Plan on Deepening Reform of the Party and State institutions issued recently by the CPC has made decisions on the handover and reorganization of the gold, forest and water and electricity guarding forces of the PAPF, the transfer of the maritime police troops to the PAPF, and the restructuring of the Border Defense Force, Fire-fighting Force and the Security Force.

Next, the Chinese military will work together with relevant departments of the Central Party Committee and governmental agencies to fulfill the reform tasks related to both civil and military sectors.

Replying to another question, the spokesman said, “Since the 18th Party Congress, under the personal efforts make by President Xi in designing, leading and encouraging, the strategy of civil-military integrated development proceeds to its full implementation.