China seeks 'new fields' of coop with Pak military

BEIJING, May 08 (Reuters): China's defence minister on Monday told Pakistan's navy chief that their militaries including their navies should "expand into new fields of cooperation" to bolster the capability of the two neighbours in safeguarding security in the region.
Ties between the two militaries stretch back years, with their navies and air forces holding bilateral exercises in each other's territory.
For China, Pakistan and its access to the Arabian Sea is key in the event of a maritime blockade in the Strait of Malacca.
But Chinese interest in the region has stirred concern, especially in neighbouring India after China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti on the northwestern fringe of the Indian Ocean in 2017.