Will continue to back Pakistan to fight terrorism: China on attacks against its nationals working on CPEC projects

Beijing: China on Monday said it would continue to support Pakistan in its fight against terrorism to protect Chinese nationals working on various projects in the country notwithstanding the recurring attacks against them.

The remarks by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian came in reply to a question on the recent attack in Karachi in which two Chinese nationals were injured when a security guard opened fire at them following a quarrel.

“China will continue to support Pakistan in fighting terrorism,” the spokesman told a media briefing.

Asked whether Beijing is satisfied with the security protocols for its nationals and projects in Pakistan, Lin said, “We are firm in our commitment to protecting the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions overseas.” Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on several projects under the aegis of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Last week's incident was the third incident involving attacks on Chinese or other foreign nationals in Karachi this year.

Beijing has been pressing Islamabad to step up security to protect its nationals.

Lin said that both countries have the resolve and capability to foil any attempt to harm China-Pakistan relations and ensure that terrorists will pay the price.

“China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. Our iron-clad friendship has taken deep roots among our peoples. Attempts to undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries will not succeed," he said.

Terrorism is a common enemy of humanity. It’s the shared responsibility of the international community to fight terrorism and prevent tragedies from happening again, he added.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has been carrying out numerous attacks including suicide bomb attacks on Chinese personnel working on the CPEC project.

The BLA alleges exploitation of the rich natural resources of Balochistan by Pakistan and China.