Pakistan and China have extended their military co-operation by agreeing to jointly upgrade aviation capabilities. And Beijing said on Friday it would continue to help Pakistan produce nuclear power.
The defence deals include developing an early warning system for China and beefing up Pakistan's fleet of jets.
The deals were part of a series of bilateral agreements signed during a visit to Islamabad by Hu Jintao, the Chinese president.
He also pledged to play a "constructive"' role in resolving disputes between Islamabad and neighbour India, who have been involved in a decades-old conflict in Kashmir.
Hu also signed a five-year free trade pact on Friday with General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president, which is expected to triple trade to $ 15bn.
Beijing has maintained a close relationship by helping Islamabad build nuclear power plants and a deep-sea port.
China helped Pakistan set up a nuclear power plant in the 1990s. The aviation deals involve the Pakistan Air Force and CETC, a Chinese aviation company, working together on China's airborne early warning system.
Another Chinese company, CATIC, will deliver the first eight JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft jointly developed with Pakistan.
The announcements came just a day after Hu arrived in the Pakistani capital following a trip to India.
Agencies
Our button
print version
