According to reports, Beijing on Sunday requested Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to take appropriate actions to avoid attacks on Chinese people working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) facilities in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
The security of the Chinese people was discussed during a meeting of senior officials from Pakistan and China. General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, headed the Chinese delegation. The purpose of the meeting was to compare and contrast the perspectives of both countries on international and regional security issues.
A top-level tri-service military group from Pakistan visited China from June 9 to 12 to address various issues with senior military and government officials from Beijing. During the discussion, the attacks on Chinese citizens by Baloch militants were brought up. CPEC infrastructure projects, like gas pipelines and power plants, are frequently targeted by Baloch militants who perceive China as an imperialist power.
The Chinese requests came after reports of ongoing attacks on Chinese people in Pakistan prompted the Islamabad Police to set up a foreign security division at the Central Police Office (CPO).
According to The News International quoted by ANI, all standard operating procedures would be applied to security projects outside of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that follow the CPEC security paradigm. The Special Branch, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and the Security Division will all conduct regular security audits.
Attack on Chinese nationals in Pakistan
The Chinese nationals working in Pakistan have been subjected to continuous attacks for various reasons. As a result of numerous attacks on them by various organisations and individuals, the Chinese people, particularly Chinese labourers in Pakistan, have lost trust in Pakistan’s security apparatus. Chinese employees in Pakistan are concerned about their safety, and they fear Pakistan’s security institutions will fail to protect them in the event of a crisis.
It’s worth mentioning that China has made major infrastructural investments in Pakistan. The projects, one of which being the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), rely heavily on Chinese manpower and funds.
The most recent attack on Chinese nationals took place in April of this year at Karachi University. On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, a large explosion occurred in a car near Karachi University’s Commerce Department. The bomb killed four persons, including Chinese nationals, at roughly 2:30 PM. According to reports, many Chinese employees returned to their homeland following the Karachi University incident.
