Post Reply 
 
Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
China to expedite delivery of 50 fighter jets to Pakistan: WSJ
05-20-2011, 11:29 AM
Post: #1
China to expedite delivery of 50 fighter jets to Pakistan: WSJ
BEIJING: China has agreed to expedite the delivery of 50 fighter jets to Pakistan, a newspaper reported on Friday, as Islamabad tries to deepen ties with Beijing as an alternative to increasingly fragile relations with the United States.

Pakistan's already strained ties with its ally and major donor were battered after U.S. forces on May 2 killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a garrison town near Islamabad.

The fact that bin Laden was found in Abbottabad, and had been living there for years, has prompted many in Washington to call for a review of the billions of U.S. civilian and military aid that Pakistan receives. As the pressure mounts in Washington, Pakistan's Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has courted "best friend" China, its biggest arms supplier, during a four-day visit that ends on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal quoted an unnamed high-ranking Pakistani Air Force spokesman, in Beijing with Gilani, as saying the jointly developed JF-17 jets would be in addition to another batch of the same aircraft that is currently being assembled in Pakistan.

"We're getting the 50 jets, on top of the ones we already have. Something has been agreed in Beijing, so they'll be expedited," the spokesman said without giving details. There was no immediate confirmation of the deal from officials in China or Pakistan. The JF-17 "Thunder" programme dates back to 1999 and is aimed at reducing Pakistan's dependence on Western companies for advanced fighters.

The jets are a single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft costing an estimated $15 million each. The Pakistani Air Force has ordered 150 "Thunders", which it may increase to 250. The 50 mentioned in the report are likely part of the larger order.

In February 2010, Pakistan fielded its first JF-17 squadron with 14 aircraft. The close ties between China and Pakistan reflect long-standing shared wariness of their common neighbour, India, and a desire to hedge against U.S. influence across the region.

Premier Wen Jiabao assured Gilani on Wednesday of China's" all-weather friendship" and said Pakistan had made "huge sacrifices" in the international struggle against terrorism. That contrasted sharply with the U.S. Congressmen's criticism of Pakistan's failure to know bin Laden's whereabouts and insinuations that its powerful military was in some way complicit in hiding the al Qaeda leader. For its part, Pakistan is furious at the United States for violating its sovereignty by staging the secret raid that killed the world's most wanted man.
Visit this user's website Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread: Author Replies: Views: Last Post
  China Affirms Readiness to Collaborate with Pakistan for CPEC Upgrade LRE-Azan 0 210 01-26-2024 03:33 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  PM Kakar Emphasizes Pakistan-China Collaboration for CPEC Project Completion LRE-Azan 0 111 01-23-2024 03:31 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Achieves Milestones: 36 Projects Worth US LRE-Azan 0 151 01-06-2024 05:23 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  Pakistan and China Set to Ink Agreement for Third-Party Involvement in CPEC LRE-Azan 0 300 10-04-2023 07:11 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  China rolls over $2bn loan to Pakistan: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar LRE-Azan 0 584 04-01-2023 01:02 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  Pakistan, China ink framework agreement on industrial cooperation under CPEC LRE-Azan 0 1,355 02-06-2022 02:26 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  Pakistan and China Discuss on Railway Project - Development News LRE-Azan 0 3,973 07-16-2018 07:32 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  CDA asked to expedite early construction of slaughter house Salman 0 4,584 01-02-2014 01:29 PM
Last Post: Salman
  New CDA Chairman vows to expedite expansion of Kashmir Highway Salman 0 5,607 12-26-2013 05:13 PM
Last Post: Salman
  Linkage of Gwadar Port with Karakorum Highway will multiply Pakistan exports to China Salman 0 8,210 09-24-2013 11:42 AM
Last Post: Salman
  CDA asked to expedite work on ICT development projects Salman 0 8,363 09-02-2013 12:43 PM
Last Post: Salman
  CDA directed to expedite work on development projects Salman 0 8,874 08-16-2013 11:58 AM
Last Post: Salman
  Housing officials ordered to expedite uplift projects Salman 0 5,003 06-12-2013 02:21 PM
Last Post: Salman
  CDA directs to expedite Margalla construction work Salman 0 5,074 05-30-2013 06:37 PM
Last Post: Salman
  CDA to expedite construction work on Margalla Avenue Salman 0 5,264 04-29-2013 01:46 PM
Last Post: Salman
  CDA to expedite construction work on Margalla Avenue Salman 0 5,260 04-24-2013 01:15 PM
Last Post: Salman
  Housing Ministry asked to expedite work on ongoing projects Salman 0 5,127 07-19-2012 12:37 PM
Last Post: Salman
  Steps taken to expedite work on development projects Salman 0 4,859 05-04-2012 01:29 PM
Last Post: Salman
  CDA told to expedite development of Sector I-11 Salman 0 3,777 04-17-2012 01:39 PM
Last Post: Salman
  Pakistan, China to execute 36 projects worth $14 billion, Salman 0 4,483 04-16-2012 12:21 PM
Last Post: Salman

Forum Jump:


User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)