Top Chinese legislator meets Pakistani army chief

Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang on Thursday met with visiting Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, with the pair bidding to intensify engagement between their two parliaments.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, commended development of China-Pakistan relations, saying frequent high-level visits as well as broad consensus reached between the two state leaders have brought the two countries' strategic relations to a higher level.

He encouraged China and Pakistan to strengthen cooperation in all fields and promote common development to give the two sides a common destiny.

China is willing to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in the security field and play a positive role for peace and stability in Asia, he added.

Zhang noted that the the NPC is willing to increase friendly engagement with the Pakistani parliament and deepen friendship between the two peoples.

Sharif said Pakistan will commit itself to more cooperation with China as well as its military.