On July 19th, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan hosted a reception to celebrate the 97th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan, graced the event as the chief guest. The reception brought together more than 400 guests, including nearly 20 generals of the Pakistan Armed Forces, Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Minister of of Information and Broadcasting, Minister of Commerce and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, defense/military attachés and members of diplopmatic community as well as the staff of Chinese institutions and overseas Chinese in Pakistan. The Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, together with other diplomats from the Chinese Embassy, attended the celebration.
Major General Wang Zhong, the Chinese Defence Attaché, addressed the reception. He stated that the PLA, guided by Xi Jinping thought on strengthening the military, plays an active role in safeguarding national sovereinty and security, world peace and development, and building a global community of shared future. The expanding and deepening interactions and multi-dimensional cooperation between the PLA and Pakistan Armed Forces demonstrates the unique, profound iron-clad friendship between the two countries. The two militaries will always support each other and stand together to make greater contribution to world and regional peace and stability.
General Sahir highly commended the important contribution made by the PLA in safeguarding China’s security and development interests as well as regional peace and stabiltity. He highlighted Pakistan-China friendship as the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and the great significance of bilateral military cooperation in maintaining strategic balance in South Asia, and pledged that Pakistan Armed forces will make every effort to ensure foolproof safety of the CPEC projects and all Chinese personnel in Pakistan.
During the reception, videos showcasing the PLA’s efforts to safeguard world peace were played. The guests spoke highly of China’s great achievements in national defense and military building, looking forward to a higher level of China-Pakistan military-to-military relations.