International cooperation

China-Pakistan military ties set to get even closer as ‘iron brothers’ eye new alliance

With reports that China is planning to build its second offshore naval base near a strategically important Pakistani port it appears that the relationship between Beijing and Islamabad is as strong as ever.

Once dubbed “iron brothers” by the now retired vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Fan Changlong, the two countries have steadily increased cooperation on military and defence matters in recent years as they seek to counter the perceived threat from rivals India and the United States.

Here are the five major areas in which they have worked together:

JF-17 fighter jet

Designed in China and assembled in Pakistan, the JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft was introduced in 2011 with the aim of providing the Pakistani air force with a low-cost alternative to its ageing fleet of Dassault Mirage III/5 fighter jets by 2020.

In the years since, however, the jet – produced by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aerospace Corporation – has experienced its fair share of turbulence, having crashed in both 2011 and 2016.

Despite its dubious safety record Islamabad has pitched the JF17 as an affordable jet fighter for developing countries, and in 2015 secured its first export deal with an undisclosed Asian country.