Chinese soldiers arrive in Pakistan for joint exercise

<p>By Aamir Latif</p> <p>KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Chinese soldiers arrived in Pakistan on Saturday for a three-week counterterrorism exercise between the two nations’ special forces.</p> <p>A contingent of the People Liberation Army China arrived to take part in the Warrior-VI exercises starting Sunday, said a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a mouthpiece of Pakistan’s army.</p> <p>“Troops of Special Service Groups from both armies will participate in a three-week-long exercise. The focus of the joint exercise is to share respective experiences in the field of counter-terrorism operations and learn from each other,” the statement added.</p> <p>This is the sixth joint exercise of a series as part of bilateral military cooperation between the two longtime allies.</p> <p>Squeezed by budding defense ties between the U.S. and India, especially after a civil nuclear treaty was signed between the two last year, Pakistan has been working to forge a new strategic partnership with longtime ally China.</p> <p>The two allies are engaged in a massive multibillion-dollar cooperation deal known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which aims to provide Chinese cargo with rapid access to Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.</p> <p>The project also aims to spur Pakistan’s development in transportation, road construction, and energy.</p>