BEIJING: Pakistan and China have common interests in jointly safeguarding strategic sea lanes in regions like the Indian Ocean, where terrorism, piracy, and other dangerous activities pose threats to the maritime transport of goods and energy, Wei Dongxu, a Chinese military expert said on Sunday.
The largest-ever joint drill between the Chinese and Pakistani navies started in Pakistan on Saturday as the two nations continue to enhance their capabilities in jointly safeguarding strategic sea lanes as well as regional peace and stability.
The Sea Guardian-3 joint maritime drill kicked off with an opening ceremony at the Karachi Naval Dockyard.
Participating troops from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy include the Type 052D guided missile destroyer Zibo, the Type 054A guided missile destroyers Jingzhou and Linyi, while a conventional attack submarine and a submarine support ship along with a Marines corps detachment from the PLA Navy are also involved.
Under the shared aim of jointly responding to maritime security threats, the 9-day exercise in the waters and airspace of the northern Arabian Sea will hold training courses, including helicopter cross-deck landing, joint search and rescue, formation maneuvering, VBSS (visit, board, search, and seizure), joint anti-submarine and main gun shooting, as well as professional exchanges and mutual visits.
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It is the third and the largest edition of the Sea Guardian series. The first edition was held in 2020 in the northern Arabian Sea waters, and the second exercise was held in 2022 in waters off Shanghai.
Pakistan-China strategic cooperation
Rear Admiral Liang Yang, commander at a PLA Navy base and the general director of the exercise from the Chinese side, said that the drill is dedicated to enhancing the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, expanding defense cooperation, and deepening professional cooperation.
Liang said he hopes the two navies can further boost their joint operational capabilities in dealing with maritime security threats and safeguard maritime peace.
An expert familiar with China-Pakistan military cooperation said that joint drills also safeguard the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an important part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and comprehensively contribute to the peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region.
