Premier confirms China’s support for Pakistan

Premier Li Keqiang reaffirmed Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s economic progress, people’s well-being, and financial stability on Monday, saying the country has long been a priority in China’s neighboring diplomacy.

In a phone discussion with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Li stated that China, as Pakistan’s close and friendly neighbor and staunch ally, will provide unwavering assistance to the country in preserving its national sovereignty and security.

He highlighted China’s commitment to strengthen bilateral strategic communication, enhance collaboration in significant projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and increase personnel exchanges, all while putting in place effective COVID-19 containment measures.

The discussion took place following a terrorist incident in Karachi on April 26 that killed three Chinese people and wounded one, the fourth such attack on Chinese residents in Pakistan since April 2021.

The conversation came after a videoconference last week between State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, during which the two sides struck an agreement on the protection of Chinese people in Pakistan.

Li expressed Beijing’s astonishment and outrage at the event, saying he hopes Pakistan can find the terrorists as soon as possible, make all-out efforts to resolve relevant issues, and provide comfort to the relatives of the killed and injured.

He underlined the importance of bolstering the security measures for Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan and preventing such tragedies from reoccurring.

Shahbaz, who took over as Pakistan’s prime minister last month, extended his condolences to the victims and sympathies for those injured in the terrorist assault.

He emphasized that Pakistan firmly opposes terrorism and values the safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan, saying that the Chinese victims in the tragedy are no different from his countrymen.

Shahbaz promised a thorough inquiry to find out what happened and put those guilty to justice.

He told Li that Pakistan will beef up security for Chinese institutions and employees to guarantee that similar occurrences do not occur again.

According to Shahbaz, Pakistan’s alliance with China—the country’s largest economic partner and a significant source of foreign direct investment—is firmly ingrained, and bilateral collaboration has reached an unparalleled level.

Pakistan is eager to increase bilateral cooperation in critical projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and special economic zones, as well as undertake deeper people-to-people encounters, he added.

Dunya News, a Pakistani television news channel, reported on Monday that Pakistani counterterrorism authorities had arrested a woman suspected of planning a suicide bombing to target Chinese motorcades traveling through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and that raids were underway to apprehend other members of the network involved in such activities.