China envoy reaffirms commitment to Pakistan's socio-economic development

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 19 : Amid the recent incident of killings of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, the Ambassador of China to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong said that Chinese staff and workers at different China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-related projects will continue to contribute to Pakistan's socio-economic development with the same spirit and zeal, The Nation reported.
The attack, which took place on March 26 in Bisham City in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Shangla district, claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers along with one Pakistani citizen.
Further, the Chinese Ambassador said in an interview with a private TV channel that, "it is a point of satisfaction that the high-level inquiry initiated by the government of Pakistan into the recent terrorist attack in which five Chinese personnel were killed is progressing smoothly, hoping that it will pave the way for safeguarding the safety of the CPEC-projects and the Chinese workers."
Additionally, in an official post on X, the Pakistan foreign ministry said, "Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called on Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Thursday. While appreciating Foreign Minister Wang Yi's letter to him on his assumption of office, the Foreign Minister expressed the desire to further strengthen the All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and to upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The ambassador expressed his willingness to collaborate with Pakistani security agencies and said that his government is willing to work with Pakistani security agencies to achieve its security objectives, adding that to ensure the consistent progress of CPEC, the government will have to ensure the safety of those who are engaged in the development work at various locations in the country, as per The Nation.
Ambassador Jiang, in extending congratulations to the new government in Pakistan, said that it showed its seriousness in maintaining the depth of Sino-Pakistan's decades old strategic partnership.
"The regional and global interests of the two countries are interlinked both for security and economic development, and they are committed to working together to protect them by all possible means," he added.
According to The Nation, he affirmed that Chinese President Xi places significant emphasis on the well-being of the people, emphasising that their security and welfare should be prioritised while carrying out cooperative partnerships at different levels.
Moreover, Jiang Zaidong stated that his country stands ready to further strengthen counterterrorism and security cooperation with Pakistan.
He further said, "We should take the people's security as the ultimate goal, and effectively protect Chinese citizens in Pakistan. People are the foundation of a country and the country's rule is also for them."
He said that the national security work is ultimately to protect the interests of the people and enable them to lead a satisfied life and work in a peaceful environment.
The Ambassador said that President Xi Jinping always emphasised giving priority to people, ensuring the security of their lives and property.
"A holistic approach to national security takes the people's position as the fundamental position, and emphasises that national security is for the people and relies on the people, which clearly reflects President Xi Jinping's deep feelings for the people," he added.
Ambassador Zaidong said that Chinese citizens in Pakistan actively participate in Pakistan's national construction and promote China-Pakistan friendly cooperation.
"We should do everything possible to ensure their safety and value their contributions." "We hope and believe that the Pakistani side will speed up the investigation of the incident, find out the truth, severely punish the perpetrators, raise counterterrorism efforts, resolutely crack down on and root out the evil, and take all measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan, and create favourable conditions for advancing China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperation and building a China-Pakistan community with a shared future," he added.