Daily Times

Pakistan and China have the determination and ability to make terrorists pay the price for their actions, and any attempt to undermine China-Pakistan cooperation will not succeed, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a terrorist attack that killed five Chinese nationals in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday.

“We strongly condemn this terrorist attack, express deep sympathy for the victims, and extend sincere condolences to the bereaved families,” Lin said. Noting that some other countries have also condemned the attack and expressed sympathy for the Chinese victims, Lin said China is grateful for that.

He said that immediately after the incident, China’s foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy in Pakistan triggered an emergency response mechanism. They have maintained close contact with the Pakistani side in Beijing and Islamabad, requesting that Pakistan accelerate the hunt for and subsequent punishment of the terrorist, seek justice for the victims, and take concrete measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in the country.

He reiterated China’s stance on terrorism: Terrorism is the common enemy of all human beings, and it is the shared responsibility of the international community to combat terrorism and prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.

China firmly supports Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, Lin said. China will continue to support Pakistan’s economic development, social development and the improvement of its people’s livelihoods, he added, and it will undertake firm cooperation with Pakistan in various fields to bring benefits to the two peoples.

Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari, in a visit to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China on Wednesday, extended heartfelt condolences on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan following the tragic killing of Chinese citizens in a recent terrorist attack in Besham.

According to a press release issued by the President’s Secretariat, Zardari strongly condemned the heinous act, expressing solidarity with the Chinese people in their time of mourning.

The president said that the Pakistani nation shared the grief of the Chinese people, adding that the people of Pakistan stood in solidarity with the Chinese people in this hour of grief.

During the meeting, the president said that enemies in the region couldn’t accept the fact that Pakistan and China were further strengthening their bilateral ties.

He assured the Chinese ambassador that the criminals involved in the gruesome act would be apprehended and brought to justice. He further said that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure the security of the Chinese citizens working on various projects in Pakistan.

The Chinese Ambassador thanked the president for personally visiting the embassy to offer condolences. He appreciated that Pakistanis from all walks of life had condemned the terrorist attack.

Zaidong highlighted that Chinese workers had made outstanding contributions towards Pakistan’s socio-economic development. He said that terrorists were enemies of humanity and needed to be hunted down for targeting innocent people.

He underscored the need for increasing counterterrorism cooperation and providing enhanced security to Chinese workers in Pakistan. The ambassador reiterated his country’s resolve to further strengthen cooperation with Pakistan and continue its support for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other projects