A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday said that “ironclad friendship” between China and Pakistan was unbreakable and any attempt to undermine the bilateral cooperation, mutual trust and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would not succeed.
Wang Wenbin made these remarks during his regular briefing in response to questions about the Karachi University terrorist attack.
A shuttle van of the Confucius Institute of Karachi University was hit by a suicide bomber a day earlier, leaving three Chinese teachers and a Pakistani dead.
The spokesperson said that terrorism was a common scourge and the blood of the Chinese people would not be shed in vain in terrorism. “Once again, we mourn the passing of the Chinese and Pakistani nationals and extend our sincere sympathies to the victims and to the injured and the bereaved families,” he added.
Terming the bombing a premeditated suicide attack targeting Chinese citizens, Wenbin said Beijing supported Pakistan in fighting terrorism and those behind the incident would surely pay the price. He observed that the target of the egregious and heinous attack was teachers as they were inheritors of human civilisation and promoters of cultural exchange.
The spokesperson also said that people and life come first, adding that the Chinese government attached great importance to the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions overseas. He highlighted that after the attack, the Chinese foreign ministry and embassy and consulate in Pakistan following the guidance of China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi immediately activated the emergency response mechanisms and requested the Pakistani side to take proper efforts to treat the injured, handle the follow up matter and conduct a thorough investigation, apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The Pakistani side, he maintained, was also asked to take stronger measures to keep Chinese citizens and institutions safe and make sure such incidents don’t happen again.
Wenbin further said Chinese embassy and consulate also reminded Chinese institutions and personnel to strengthen their safety awareness and ramp up security. The Chinese departments and local governments are taking actions in coordination while the Consul General in Karachi yesterday visited the injured Chinese teacher.
Noting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the embassy to convey his condolences, the spokesperson said that he offered condolences and instructed the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. He expressed the confidence that the government would spare no efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and hold them accountable.
The government promised to take further measures to strengthen security for Chinese people, projects and institutions and it would not allow any enforce to undermine the two countries friendship and cooperation.
Wenbin further observed that Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah also visited Consulate General in Karachi to convey condolences and took prompt actions in the rescue and investigation. He also said leaders of many political parties and people from all walks of life had conveyed their condolences following the attack. “We will work together with Pakistan to crack down on terrorist forces and make sure the culprits behind the attack will pay a heavy price,” the spokesperson concluded.
