Pakistan army chief discusses regional security with Chinese commander on day of deadly attacks

General Li Qiaoming (L), the ground force commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, sakes hands with Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir on August 26, 2024, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (Photo courtesy: Military's media wing)

• Meeting comes against backdrop of widespread separatist attacks in Balochistan province where China has invested billions
• As top Pakistani and Chinese military leaders meet, Pakistani military statement makes no mention of the latest attacks in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: General Li Qiaoming, the ground force commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, on Monday discussed regional security, military training and bilateral defense cooperation with Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, the Pakistani military said.
The meeting came against the backdrop of a deadly day of violence in Pakistan’s Balochistan province and a series of attacks by separatist militants who have battled the central government for independence for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan’s gas and mineral resources, and seeking the expulsion of China. The Pakistani government denies the allegations.
In the past, separatists, who usually attack security forces, have also targeted Chinese interests and citizens in Balochistan, where Beijing runs the strategic southern deep-water port of Gwadar as well as a gold and copper mines in its west.
While General Li and General Munir met on Monday at the Pakistan army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi, the Pakistani military statement on the meeting made no mention of the latest attacks in Balochistan.
“The meeting afforded an opportunity for in-depth discussions on matters of mutual interest, regional security, military training, and measures to further augment bilateral defense cooperation,” the army’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, said on Monday.
“Munir underscored the robust relations between the Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army, highlighting the ongoing bilateral military cooperation as a testament to the enduring brotherhood between the two nations.”
Balochistan, which borders both Iran and Afghanistan, is Pakistan’s largest province by size, but the least populated and remains largely underdeveloped, with high levels of poverty.
China has recently publicly raised with Pakistan the issue of the security of its workers and interests, especially since a March suicide attack in which five Chinese workers and their local driver were killed in northwest Pakistan.