China urges Pakistani military to keep up ‘zero tolerance’ crackdown on terror as Chinese interests targeted

Foreign Minister Qin Gang reiterates call as he meets Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chair of the Pakistan Army’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
Chinese interests in Pakistan, a key belt and road partner in the region, have faced increased terror threats as Beijing’s influence grows

Belt and Road Initiative

Hayley Wong

Published: 6:55pm, 21 Jun 2023

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Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has urged the Pakistani military to continue its “zero tolerance” crackdown on terrorism, reiterating his call for better protection as Chinese nationals and projects face increasing extremist threats in the region.

“We thank the Pakistani army for its long-standing efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel in Pakistan,” Qin told General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman of the Pakistan Army’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, as the pair met in Beijing on Tuesday.

“We hope that the Pakistani side will not relent in its efforts to combat terrorism with zero tolerance,” he added.

Qin also highlighted the importance of the Pakistani military in bilateral relations.

“The Pakistani army is the mainstay of Pakistan, as well as a staunch defender and promoter of China-Pakistan friendship,” Qin said, describing the country as an “ironclad friend of China”.

“[We] hope the Pakistani military will continue to play its role as the anchor of stability by safeguarding domestic stability and offering new and more contributions to our strategic partnership.”

Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets the Pakistani delegation in Beijing. Photo: Handout

Pakistan is a key strategic partner in the region for China’s Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure plan, with the US$54 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a flagship project.

However, Chinese interests have been targeted in recent years by terrorist groups in Pakistan, especially the separatist Baloch Liberation Army – a designated terrorist outfit – which carried out a deadly attack on Chinese nationals in April last year.

The attacks, coming as China’s economic influence and closeness to Pakistan grow, have prompted Beijing to demand greater security for Chinese nationals in the country.

In the latest such incident, two gunmen described by Pakistani police as “terrorists” tried to attack a Chinese-owned shipyard in the port city of Karachi last month. Pakistani police shot dead one attacker and the other was reported to be on the run.

This came barely a week after Qin met his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts in Pakistani capital Islamabad, and urged them to help fight terror and protect “Chinese nationals, institutions and projects”.

In the Baloch Liberation Army attack in April last year, four people were killed when a female suicide bomber blew up a van carrying teachers at the University of Karachi’s Confucius Institute.

Three Chinese nationals, including the school’s director, were among the dead. The fourth was the van’s Pakistani driver.

In November, a Pakistani court handed down the death sentence to two men over a July 2021 bus attack that killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals. The passenger bus had been carrying workers to the Chinese-funded Dasu Hydropower Project in northwestern Pakistan.

Responding to Qin on Tuesday, Mirza said Pakistan would always side with their “Chinese brothers” and “protect bilateral cooperation projects including the CPEC to its full capability”, according to an official Chinese readout.

Mirza also met Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, the same day. Both military leaders pledged to “deepen” security cooperation, according to People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party.

“No matter how the international and regional situation changes, Pakistan will resolutely support the Chinese position on issues like Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong,” Mirza was quoted as saying.

Terror attacks are a concern as China shores up relations with Pakistan and Central Asia – crucial to its belt and road links to Africa and Europe. This relates especially to Pakistan’s restive tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, as well as Afghanistan itself, where anti-Pakistan and anti-China militant outfits have become more active since the Taliban takeover of Kabul.

Earlier this month, China announced it will hold regular counterterrorism talks with Pakistan and Iran, following the first such trilateral meeting on regional security issues and joint actions.

Qin also held a separate meeting with Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari when he visited Islamabad in May. A joint statement following that meeting reiterated the two sides’ “firm resolve to counter terrorism” and agreement to “further build on security and counterterrorism cooperation”.