WASHINGTON: A report by the US government has said China has deep strategic interests in Pakistan, which it said will ensure close relations between the two countries despite irritants.

The US Department of Defense, in its annual report to Congress on “Military and Security Developments” in China,” terms Pakistan as one of the countries where Beijing seeks to enhance both “bilateral and multilateral” engagements, according to media reports.

The report further says that China’s Strategic Support Force “runs tracking, telemetry, and command stations in Namibia, Pakistan, and Argentina”.

The report has also stated that China’s One Belt, One Road projects in Pakistan are associated with pipelines and port construction that are aimed at decreasing China’s reliance on transporting energy resources through strategic choke points, such as the Strait of Malacca.

(With inputs from Agencies)