China on Friday condemned an attack on the Chinese consulate in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, which left two policemen dead.
"China strongly condemns any violent attacks against diplomatic agencies and urges Pakistan to take practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in the country," Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Friday.
Geng also offered condolences to the two Pakistani police officers and their families.
All Chinese staff members of the consulate and their family members are safe, Geng added.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has sent condolences to the Chinese consulate.
Paramilitary forces and policemen in action during an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, November 23, 2018. /VCG Photo
Three suspected suicide bombers were killed before they could enter the facility, said Amir Shaikh, chief of Karachi police.
"There were three attackers and all three have been killed... They could not even get into the compound," said the officer.
A Pakistani separatist group, Balochistan Liberation Army, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, but there is no immediate official confirmation.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Construction projects and Chinese workers in Balochistan have been repeatedly targeted by militants in recent years. The province is at the heart of the under-construction China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Gwadar port is a flagship project along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, southwest Pakistan's Gwadar, January 29, 2018. /Xinhua Photo
In response to a question about whether the attack will affect Chinese investment in Pakistan, Geng said China believes Pakistan will continue to safeguard the construction of the CPEC.
As all-weather strategic cooperative partners, China and Pakistan share important consensus on building the CPEC, the spokesman noted, stressing that the CPEC is supported by both Chinese and Pakistani citizens.
Khan while condemning the attack ordered a "complete inquiry," calling it "part of (the) conspiracy against Pakistan and China's economic and strategic cooperation" in a statement.
"However, such incidents will never be able to undermine the Pakistan-China relationship that is mightier than Himalaya and deeper than (the) Arabian Sea," the Pakistani prime minister said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) shakes hands with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, November 3, 2018. /Xinhua Photo
During his visit to China early this month, Khan told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that Pakistan views the CPEC as a great opportunity for development, benefiting the Pakistani people and promoting Pakistan's economic and social advancements.
Pakistan will continue to promote CPEC construction and protect the safety of CPEC projects and Chinese staff, said Khan.
"Pakistan and China's friendship cannot be disturbed," Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi commented on Friday.
"Pakistan and China have joint security attempts to prevent such attempts at destroying the work that the two countries are working on," said Qureshi.