Recently, the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, Zhang Youxia, attracted attention by wearing a suit to attend a meeting between the Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif. In the past, Zhang had mostly appeared in military attire at various events, so his appearance in a suit on CCTV this time made netizens feel somewhat unusual. What was even more unusual was that in previous meetings between the Communist Party leader and the Pakistani Prime Minister, the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission did not attend.
Taking the meetings between the Chinese and Pakistani leaders from 2018 to 2023 as an example. On April 10, 2018, Xi met with Pakistani Prime Minister Abbasi, with senior Communist Party officials such as Ding Xuexiang, Liu He, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, and He Lifeng also in attendance. On November 2 of the same year, Xi met with the new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, with Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng, and others present.
On October 9, 2019, Xi again met with Imran Khan. The officials present at the meeting were still Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng, and other foreign affairs and administrative officials.
On February 6, 2022, Xi met with Imran Khan, who was in China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Ding Xuexiang, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng, among others attended the meeting. On November 2 of the same year, Xi met with the newly elected Prime Minister Sharif, with Wang Yi, He Lifeng, and others participating in related activities.
On October 19, 2023, Xi met with the Pakistani Prime Minister Kaka. Cai Qi and Wang Yi attended the meeting.
It is evident that except for the period when the Pakistani Prime Minister did not visit Beijing due to the pandemic, in the past few years, the Pakistani Prime Minister has visited Beijing at least once almost every year, praising China extensively to showcase his “ironclad” identity, reaping plenty of benefits as well. And during each meeting, Xi was accompanied primarily by foreign affairs officials and high-ranking economic officials from the State Council.
However, in the recent meeting between Xi and Sharif, in addition to the ever-present Wang Yi, the appearance of Zhang Youxia, without wearing military attire, was notable. This is most likely due to the presence of another high-ranking official from Pakistan who was also not in military uniform: Pakistani Army Chief of Staff General Asim Munir.
Munir had been serving as the Commander of the Army Logistics Department of Pakistan since October 2021, became the Chief of Army Staff by the end of 2022, and now oversees Pakistan’s nuclear weapons arsenal. It can be said that he holds the most powerful position in the country. Because in Pakistan’s 75-year history as an independent state, the military has directly ruled for over 30 years. Regardless of whether the military top brass is in power or not, they are considered the primary arbiters of the country’s domestic affairs.
Therefore, Zhang Youxia’s participation in the meeting can be easily explained. On the one hand, it demonstrates the Chinese Communist Party’s respect for the Pakistani side; on the other hand, with such a powerful Pakistani Army Chief of Staff visiting Beijing, he should not just have a companion role, but also be discussing certain defense and military matters with the Chinese.
Official reports from the Chinese side do not mention this, but some hints were revealed in Pakistani official media. According to a report from the Pakistani news agency on June 7, Sharif and Xi had a “productive” meeting, where they exchanged views on the situations in Afghanistan, Palestine, South Asia, and globally, including the human rights conditions in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan also promised full support for the security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.
Furthermore, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated on the 6th that “our partnership has risen to the strategic level.” Prior to Sharif’s visit to China, the Pakistani news agency had revealed that the issues to be discussed during the visit and cooperation in trade, investment, defense, and national and regional security, among other areas.
In other words, the discussions between the two sides involve defense, the safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan, and other issues, which was the main reason for Zhang Youxia’s attendance. As early as last April, the Chinese Communist Party had stated its intention to cooperate with the Pakistani military.
At that time, Zhang Youxia met Munir, who was visiting Beijing. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense pointed out in a subsequent statement, “Zhang Youxia stated that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperation partners and iron-clad friends.” Pakistan’s statement mentioned, “Both military commanders reaffirmed the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and enhance military cooperation between the two armies.”
On November 11, 2023, the Chinese and Pakistani navies conducted their largest-ever joint military exercises.
In addition, Chinese-Pakistani naval cooperation includes high-level visits, expert discussions, training exchanges, equipment cooperation, among others. Furthermore, the Chinese and Pakistani air forces have conducted numerous joint training exercises, with China also providing a significant amount of weapons to Pakistan, including four Type 054A/P missile frigates, Hangor-class submarines, and more.
Chinese-Pakistani military cooperation has drawn attention from the United States and concerns from India. The Pentagon had previously identified Pakistan as a possible location for future Chinese military bases, with the China-funded Gwadar Deep-Water Port considered a potential site.
It is well known that Pakistan and China have longstanding border disputes with India. The relationship between India and Pakistan is currently strained, and with China and Pakistan discussing defense and military security issues and strengthening military cooperation, a significant target is India. Just recently, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen congratulated Indian Prime Minister Modi on his re-election. Modi thanked Tsai and expressed anticipation of strengthening relations between Taiwan and India, deepening economic, trade, and technological partnerships, which has also irked the Chinese.
The simultaneous participation of Zhang Youxia and Munir in high-level meetings indicates that China and Pakistan are embarking on unprecedented cooperation in politics, economics, defense, and other areas, which can only heighten the vigilance of India and the United States. Some analysts believe that the overall public opinion in India towards China is very negative, especially after the Galwan Valley conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Indians now see China as their number one adversary, rather than Pakistan. For Modi, it is impossible to return to a normal track of dealings with Beijing until border issues are resolved. With the recent close moves between China and Pakistan, India is being pushed further away.