'Unacceptable': Chinese envoy on security lapses in Pakistan

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong urged that the government should launch a crackdown against all anti-China terrorist groups after two deadly attacks took place in Pakistan within only six months, The Express Tribune reported.

IMAGE: Pakistan Army soldiers stand guard ahead of the arrival of Chinese Premier Li Qiang during an SCO meet, in Islamabad, on October 14, 2024. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

The terrorists have twice targeted Chinese nationals in the past six months, first in March and then again in October, just 10 days before the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan.

Speaking at a seminar titled 'China at 75', Ambassador Jiang emphasised that these attacks were 'unacceptable' and stressed the need for enhanced security measures.

"It is very unacceptable for us to be attacked twice in only six months and these attacks have also caused causalities," Ambassador Jiang said.

He added that Beijing hoped that the Pakistani side could further strengthen the security measures to protect Chinese personnel, institutions and projects.

Further, Jiang highlighted that security was the biggest constraint to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and 'without safe and sound environment, nothing can be achieved'.

The ambassador's remarks came during a seminar organised by the Pakistan China Institute, where Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also spoke, as per The Express Tribune.

"Pakistan should severely punish the perpetrators and crack down on all anti-China terrorist groups," said the ambassador, adding, "Security is the biggest concern for China and a constraint to CPEC in Pakistan."

During his speech, the envoy clarified that 'Chinese President Xi Jinping cares about Chinese people's security and puts people's lives first. He especially cares about the security of the Chinese people in Pakistan. Every time when he meets with Pakistani leaders, he asks for taking measures to ensure the security of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects'.

In response, Darr reassured that Pakistan was taking action against the terrorists and the progress would be shared during the next week's meeting between President Asif Zardari and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"There are an increasing number of attacks on the Chinese nationals because the Pak-China friendship has not been digested by certain powers of the world," Dar said.

He added that despite these challenging times, in recent meetings, Pakistan and China had agreed to take CPEC to the next level by deepening cooperation in the areas of trade, industrialisation, the digital economy, agriculture and renewable energy.

Further, Dar criticised the United States for its tactics to stop Beijing becoming a global economic power.

"China will be the biggest economy in due course despite all the tools that have been used against it, including increasing tariffs on its products up to 200 per cent, said Dar.

"Increasing tariffs from 25 per cent to 200 per cent is nothing but politics to use unfair ways to stop China from becoming a global supereconomic power."