On Sunday, China’s capital city of Beijing lauded Pakistan for its efforts to track down terrorists and those who aid them in their plots against Chinese nationals and their projects and workers in the country.
Further, Pakistan and China have achieved an agreement in principle on a number of collaborative actions, including increased collaboration in the area of law enforcement. Also included is strengthening the judicial system’s institutional capacities.
Both Islamabad and Beijing recognised the importance of taking measures to protect Chinese troops and infrastructure in Pakistan from terrorist attacks.
On the 9th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Safety and Security of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), held at the Chinese Embassy, the acknowledgement and decisions were taken.
Special Secretary of the Interior Ministry Saif Anjum and the Director General of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security co-chaired the meeting. Nong Rong, the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, was also present.
It was stressed that protecting the CPEC projects in Pakistan is crucial to strengthening ties between the two countries.
It went on to say that “[an] in-principle agreement had been established on various cooperative actions,” such as “furthering collaboration in the law enforcement sector” and “capacity building of the law enforcement agencies,” to “further strengthen the prospects of bilateral ties.”
There was also discussion of forming a separate collaborative working group to address the security of non-corridor projects, which was proposed by both parties.
In order to guarantee the security of Chinese people and projects in Pakistan, “[Islamabad and Beijing] agreed to the necessity of combating the goals of the unfriendly groups,” the statement continued.
In January of this year, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, travelled to Pakistan.
Following an uptick in attacks on Chinese interests and troops in Pakistan, he reportedly travelled there on a special mission to ensure their safety.
According to rumours, he came to address two primary issues: Chinese national security and Chinese company payments, with a focus on the power industry. Back then, though, authorities claimed China would be willing to negotiate over payments but would never negotiate over the safety of its citizens.
The lack of progress in the inquiry into the April attack on Karachi University, in which three Chinese professors were slain, was of special concern to China. It hoped that investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of the attack would move forward.
At the time, credible reports indicated that the top Chinese official had been told about the capture of the alleged mastermind behind the attack on Karachi University and the death of a second suspect.
The Majid Brigade, a branch of Baloch terrorist organizations founded specifically to target CPEC and Chinese interests in Pakistan, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi University.
India and other outside powers are allegedly supporting Majid Brigade, a fear shared by China.
China requested to provide its own security due to an upsurge in attacks on Chinese nationals, but Pakistan refused since it had previously told China that its citizens would be safe from harm.
On July 29, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, met with the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan at the General Headquarters (GHQ).
Discussions centered on regional security, CPEC development, defense cooperation, and other topics of mutual interest.
The COAS had previously stated that Pakistan recognized the importance of China’s involvement in global and regional affairs and looked forward to deepening the strategic alliance between the two countries.
According to the army chief, Pakistan will continue to work with its foreign allies to ensure regional stability and peace.
In a letter to Pakistan’s army chief, Chinese Ambassador Rong expressed gratitude for the country’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Chinese workers on Pakistani construction sites and for the country’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability.
He had also promised to do what he could to enhance diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
Mahnur is MS(development Studies)Student at NUST University, completed BS Hons in Eng Literature. Content Writer, Policy analyst, Climate Change specialist, Teacher, HR Recruiter.
