PM Shehbaz reaffirms commitment to safety of Chinese nationals

BAKU: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reassured China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday, while attending the COP29 climate summit in Baku, that Pakistan is committed to eradicating terrorism and ensuring the safety of Chinese nationals in the country.

During a meeting on the sidelines of the summit, the premier highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to secure Chinese workers and nationals, especially amid rising attacks on them by separatist groups.

These attacks have targeted Chinese citizens working on key infrastructure projects in Pakistan, particularly the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative.

Last month, a suicide bombing near Karachi airport killed two Chinese engineers and injured 21 others, while another attack in March killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Chinese government, which has historically refrained from publicly commenting on security issues, has recently raised concerns about the safety of its nationals in Pakistan.

“The prime minister mentioned the government’s steps to completely eliminate the menace of terrorism from Pakistan and said that the government is determined to uproot terrorism from the country,” a statement from Sharif’s office read.

PM Shehabz also reaffirmed the strong ties between Pakistan and China, calling the latter Pakistan’s longstanding friend and emphasising a new era in their bilateral relations.

After the recent wave of attacks on Chinese nationals, Beijing is pushing Pakistan to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working in the country.

As per sources, “Chinese want to bring in their own security.” The source, and two other officials, said there was a consensus on setting up a joint security management system, and that Pakistan was amenable to Chinese officials sitting in on security meetings and co-ordination.