Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, who is on an official visit to China, met with Commander PLA(N) China, Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong at PLA(N) Headquarters at Beijing China.

The Admiral was received by Commander PLA(N) China, Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong upon his arrival at the headquarters and Ceremonial Guard of Honour was presented to the Naval Chief on the occasion.

Prior to the formal meeting, the Naval Chief was given detailed briefings regarding PLA(N) China. During the meeting, Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah discussed matters of mutual interest and bilateral naval collaboration including Maritime Security and Stability, Coalition Maritime Campaign Plan (CMCP), Counter Piracy Operations, drug trafficking and joint collaboration in various projects.

Admiral Zakaullah thanked Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong for active participation by PLA(N) in the Multinational Naval Exercise AMAN 17, and also looked forward to further enhance the interaction between both navies through port calls, Bilateral Naval Exercises and exchange of training programmes at various levels.

Commander PLA(N), acknowledged the significance of the close and strong bilateral naval association in diverse realms between the Pakistan Navy and PLA Navy. While lauding the professional acumen and commitment of PN personnel, Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong highly appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan Navy to maintain collaborative security in the Indian Ocean and beyond.

The deep rooted naval collaboration between Pakistan Navy and PLA (Navy) has become even more important in the backdrop of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to effectively handle complex challenges in the maritime domain. In this context, the recent visit of the Naval Chief is expected to go a long way in promoting maritime security and stability in the region and greatly enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two Navies.