Beijing: China urged Pakistan to do its "utmost" to protect thousands of Chinese workers involved in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects after recurrent attacks on Chinese personnel became a major headache for Beijing. The demand came as Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chaired the fifth round of the Foreign Minister-Level China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue in Beijing.
Wang told Dar that China hopes that Pakistan will continue to do its utmost to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in the country and eliminate the worries of Chinese enterprises and personnel, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Dar, who is on an official visit to China, said Pakistan is fully committed to bringing the planners, financiers and perpetrators of such heinous attacks to justice.
This dialogue took place over a month after five Chinese nationals, along with a Pakistani national, were killed in a terrorist attack on their vehicle of the Dasu Hydropower Project undertaken by a Chinese company in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on several projects under the aegis of the $60 billion CPEC. More than 10 terrorists were reportedly arrested in connection with the attack.
Cash-strapped Pakistan seeks aid amid financial crisis
The Pakistani foreign minister asserted that Islamabad will do its utmost to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in the country, highlighting the constitution of a 12,000-strong paramilitary force to protect the personnel. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered disciplinary action against senior police officers for "negligence" in light of an inquiry report over the incident.
According to an earlier Dawn report, the deadly attack on Chinese workers in Pakistan has shaken their confidence and some of them are planning to leave the country over security reasons, according to Pakistan’s security analyst Muhammad Amir Rana. "The attack has caused significant alarm. Apart from disrupting these vital infrastructure projects, it has shaken the confidence of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan. Reports indicate some are considering leaving the country due to safety concerns," he wrote.
Meanwhile, as Pakistan suffers from a crippling crisis and seeks desperately-needed aid from its all-weather friend China, Wang has assured financial support, saying Beijing will not waver from its commitment to deepening cooperation with Islamabad. The two sides pledged to enhance pragmatic cooperation in various fields, although the exact details are unknown.
Pakistan-China ties over the years
Wang asserted that Pakistan has firmly adhered to the one-China principle over the years and offered China valuable support without reservation on issues concerning China's core interests. He also said China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and in playing a bigger role in international and regional affairs.
Dar said Pakistan-China friendship is the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy and added that Islamabad abides by the one-China principle, firmly supports China without hesitation on all issues concerning China's core interests, and looks forward to further deepening bilateral practical cooperation in various fields.
China is vying for an upgraded version of its flagship CPEC project with Pakistan, despite opposition from India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). After the conclusion of the talks, Dar said the two sides agreed to accelerate the implementation of the ML-1 railway line project, the Gwadar Port Development and the realignment of Phase-2 of the Karakoram Highway.
(with PTI inputs)
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