Pakistan, China to kick off anti-terrorism exercises

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ISLAMABAD: Traditional allies, Pakistan and China will hold joint military exercises this week aimed at helping the two countries fight terrorism, the Pakistani military said on Sunday.

A contingent of China's People's Liberation Army arrived in Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi, adjoining Islamabad, on Sunday to take part in the exercises, named “Friendship – 2006”.

The joint exercises — the first by Chinese troops outside their country — come two weeks after a visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Pakistan. The two armies held such exercises in China in 2004.

“The focus of exercises will be to mutually benefit from each others experience in planning and conduct of anti-terrorist operations,” the military said in a statement.

“The ten-day long exercises are aimed at strengthening the existing bonds of friendship between the armies of the two countries.”

Pakistan, a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, is fighting Islamist militancy at home and its security forces have launched operations in the lawless tribal belt, bordering Afghanistan, against al Qaeda-linked militants hiding there.

China has also waged a relentless campaign against what it calls the violent separatist activities of Uighur Muslims in its far-northwestern region of Xinjiang province.

The region shares borders with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Mongolia and three former Soviet Central Asian republics.

The military exercises begin on Monday.

China is the main supplier of conventional arms to Pakistan and analysts believe it has also supported Islamabad's missile and nuclear weapons programme.

During Hu's visit, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding for long-term collaboration in defence production including development of an airborne early warning surveillance system.