China hails friendship with Pakistan after consulate attack

World
Europe

Any attempt to undermine the friendship between China and Pakistan is doomed to fail, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in an emergency phone call on Friday, following an attack on the Chinese consulate in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi.

Three suspected suicide bombers were killed before they could enter the consulate, while two Pakistani policemen also lost their lives. There were no Chinese casualties.

Qureshi informed Wang of the incident and the initial investigation conducted by Pakistan, stressing that the Pakistani government and the country's social sectors strongly condemn the terrorists' violent attack.

Paramilitary forces and policemen in action during an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, November 23, 2018 /VCG Photo

The Pakistani government and people resolutely stand together with their Chinese friends, he told Wang, vowing to conduct a complete inquiry into the attack and take all necessary measures to eliminate terrorism.

Qureshi described the friendship between the two countries as unique and precious. Pakistan will protect its Chinese friends in the country like protecting its own citizens, he pledged.

Wang said the information provided by Qureshi has demonstrated the "unbreakable friendship and mutual trust" between China and Pakistan.

China is shocked by the attack and strongly condemns the violence that targeted the diplomatic facility, Wang noted. He thanked the Pakistani police for their efforts to protect the safety of the people in the consulate and offered condolences over the deaths of the two policemen.

Wang urged Pakistan to take the incident seriously and conduct a thorough investigation, so as to prevent similar incidents from happening again. The Chinese diplomat expressed his confidence in Pakistan to safeguard the security and stability in the country.

Gwadar port is a flagship project along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, southwest Pakistan's Gwadar, January 29, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

A Pakistani separatist group, Balochistan Liberation Army, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

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.

In response to a question about whether the attack will affect Chinese investment in Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday that 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, Geng noted, stressing that the CPEC is supported by both Chinese and Pakistani citizens.