Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday said that Pakistan Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were “brothers in arms”, emphasising that the relationship between the two armies will continue to contribute towards safeguarding the collective interests of both the countries, the military said. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that the army chief expressed these remarks on the 96th anniversary of the founding of PLA commemorated at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. General Asim Munir was the chief guest on the occasion. Charge? d’Affaires of the embassy of the People’s Republic of China Pang Chunxue, Defence Attache? Major General Wang Zhong, Chinese embassy officials, and officers from tri-services of Pakistan attended the event. Speaking on the occasion, the Chinese Charge? d’Affaires thanked the army chief for hosting the event for the 96th anniversary of the founding of the PLA. “This all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan has stood the test of the time and change of international landscapes,” the Chinese Charge? d’Affaires remarked. “China and Pakistan have just jointly celebrated the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC and in the past months, COAS and other military leaders paid successful visits to China, which has strongly promoted the relationship between the two militaries”, he added. According to ISPR, the COAS felicitated the PLA and lauded the PLA’s role in China’s defence, security and nation-building. While highlighting various facets of the deep-rooted ties between the two states, militaries and the people, the army chief said: “Pakistan-China relationship is unique and robust that has proven its resilience in the face of all challenges.” “The PLA and Pakistan Army are brothers in arms and our relationship will continue to contribute towards safeguarding our collective interests,” the COAS concluded.