COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani told the concluding ceremony of the joint anti-terrorism exercises by the Pakistan and Chinese armies that cooperation between the two countries was not directed at any particular country, but would ensure peace and stability in the region. Also addressing the ceremony, Chinese Liberation Army Deputy Chief General Hou Shusen said that the exercises would show how much the two countries were doing against terror. The exercises, which were conducted in the Jhelum area, once again show the undying cooperation between the two countries. Such an assurance from Generals Kayani and Hue was needed to assure India, which has long entertained baseless suspicions about Pak-China friendship. The USA also views the emerging superpower with suspicion. Pakistan has had a good experience of Chinese friendship, which has proved helpful to it in the process of development over the decades of their friendship. Starting with the Heavy Mechanical Complex, and extending to the JF-17 Thunder fighter, China has helped Pakistan meet its defence needs at a time when other powers have turned away. The helping hand has not been limited to defence, but has extended to the development of Gwadar Port and assisting Pakistan in meeting its burgeoning energy needs through nuclear power and hydel. This shows that, as General Kayani said at Jhelum, Pak-China bonds dont exist only at the government level, but they stretch out at people-to-people level. It is clear that China is not only concerned with the Pakistani state, but also the Pakistani people, as shown by the Chinese help in the recent floods, when Chinese teams played their role in the relief work. The Pakistani experience of friendship with China has been wonderful, as the Chinese have not tried to mould Pakistani foreign policy in untried directions. This reflects both the fact that Islamabad and Beijing share many foreign policy goals, and the non-intrusive nature of Chinese friendship. It must be noted also that behind the two generals words was a message, not just to the two countries, but to the rest of the world, that Pak-China friendship was lasting as well as a reality, and to be factored into all calculations for the foreseeable future.