Gen. Bajwa said Pakistan views the relations with China

as the cornerstone of its foreign policy and its army will always be a staunch supporter of bilateral friendship.

To ensure the smooth construction of the CPEC, the Pakistan armed forces will resolutely safeguard its security, he said.

Masood Khalid, Pakistani Ambassador to China has been quoted by the official media here as saying recently that the Pakistan "has done everything" to ensure the safety about 19,000 Chinese working on different projects in the country.

Pakistan has deployed more than 15,000 troops to protect the CPEC, and the country's navy has raised a special contingent for the protection of the strategic Gwadar Port.

The Chinese military has also announced plans to increase marine corps from 20,000 to one lakh, some whom will be deployed in Gwadar which connects CPEC with China's Xinjiang province being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

During the meetings, Gen Bajwa thanked the Chinese leadership for the support Pakistan has received in the defence sector which is a "source of strength" for the unique "all weather" friendship between the two countries, the ISPR statement said.

Gen Bajwa "reiterated that Pakistan Army shall continue to positively contribute towards regional stability and security" and also thanked the Chinese military for sending a PLA contingent for participation in Pakistan Day Parade on March 23 in Rawalpindi.

"Both sides agreed to continue and further increase their military-to-military cooperation," the statement said.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)