Sino-Pakistani defense ties praised

Source: Global Times
[08:10 November 17 2010]
Comments

The Pakistani Air Force's Sherdils aerobatic team rehearses in Zhuhai Monday ahead of Tuesday's start of Airshow China. Photo: CFP
By Xu Tianran
The long history of defense collaboration between Pakistan and China bore its fruit Tuesday as the 8th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition opened in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.
Pakistani military officials in attendance heaped praise on the aircraft their country had jointly developed with China, saying the two sides would achieve even more through defense cooperation.
"The two brotherly neighboring countries have a long history of cooperation in all fields, particularly defense," Rao Qamar Suleman, chief marshal of the Pakistan Air Force, told Pakistan's APP News Agency.
Qamar singled out praise for the ZDK-03 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system and the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, which were co-developed by China and Pakistan.
The ZDK-03 houses a round and rotating radar antenna dome above the fuselage of a Shaanxi Y-8 transport aircraft, with Pakistan having ordered four ZDK-03s.
"This aircraft was put through its paces under some very rigid conditions in Pakistan, and it passed all tests. That's why we selected this aircraft," Qamar told the Global Times.
He attended the roll-out ceremony of the AEW&C system in Hanzhong, Shannxi Province, on Saturday.
Regarding the JF-17, Qamar told APP that the aircraft's many modern features, coupled with a low price tag and smaller maintenance and operational costs, made it far more attractive than any other fighter in its category.
He particularly mentioned its supreme avionics essential for a modern combat aircraft.
The air force chief added that negotiations on orders of theChinese-made J-10 fighter were also in their final stages.
"The negotiations are progressing very well. We have carried out technical negotiations and the commercial evaluation has been done," Qamar told the Global Times. "We are very close to signing a contract now."
Masood Khan, Pakistani ambassador to China, also on hand in Zhuhai, told APP that this event has epitomized Pakistani- Sino relations, calling it a "good day" for the two neighbors.
Covering 23,000 square meters, the show will run into Sunday, with 600 exhibitors from 35 countries showcasing nearly 70 commercial and military aircraft of different types, APP reported.
Pakistan, having the second-biggest fleet of aircraft after host China, is participating for the first time in this exhibition, the agency added.
To mark the importance of this event, the People's Liberation Army Air Force of China put on display a series of aircraft that participated in the 60th National Day Parade on October 1, 2009.
Agencies contributed to this story
RELATED
Pakistan defends civilian nuclear cooperation with China
Nuclear deal with Pakistan peaceful: FM
Pakistan stresses ties with China
Pakistan's first F-22 frigate arrives in Karachi from Shanghai