Chinese President Xi Jinping's is visiting Pakistan to meet with the middle eastern nuclear power's leadership as part of a two-day official visit that began Monday.

And while the meetings will largely focus on broadening economic ties, the two countries will also discuss strengthening military and security cooperation, reports Voice of America.

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China has pledged billions of dollars in infrastructure development projects, however, those plans are only half of a strategy aimed at simultaneously improving the region's security issues along with its economy, reports VOA.

Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan have long harbored militant and terrorist groups that threaten the world, and China believes quelling this area will help with its own domestic security problems.

Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's national security and foreign policy adviser, told VOA the country's Zarb-e-Azb military operation has made gains against militants threatening Chinese interests.

"Pakistan and China have been cooperating" against terrorist threats, Aziz said. "Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan was an important step in destroying the [terrorist] infrastructure that was there. But some of this activity flows into Afghanistan. So, unless Pakistan, China and Afghanistan all cooperate in this counterterrorism effort, obviously, the problem would not be solved."

China blames the tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan as having provided a haven and training ground for the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). The terrorist group has killed hundreds of people in attacks in China's Xinjiang province, according to Chinese officials.

Pakistan army officials say some of the hundreds of militants they have killed have included some that had been tied to ETIM. Afghanistan also has handed over more than a dozen anti-China militants it captured on its soil in recent months to Chinese authorities.

Chinese authorities fear that, following the withdrawal of Western troops in Afghanistan, the economic stagnation in both Pakistan and Afghanistan could threaten Xinjiang's security.

Aziz also said Pakistan has been cooperating with Afghanistan on intelligence-sharing to try to stabilize the border.

"If we succeed in these efforts of better border management and not allowing terrorists any space here," he said, "then of course it will also help the Chinese effort to stem this menace coming from this side of the border." 

TagsPakistan to Strengthen Military, Security Ties, islamabad, Sartaj Aziz, Zarb-e-Azb, Waziristan, Mamnoon Hussain, Nawaz Sharif, East Turkistan Islamic Movement, ETIM, Xinjiang