Chinese envoy meets Pakistan's COAS Bajwa amid rising security concerns near CPEC

Rawalpindi [Pakistan], January 19 : Nong Rong, China's Ambassador to Pakistan, called on the country's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Wednesday and discussed regional security matters, reported local media.
The regional security situation, matters of mutual interest, and measures to further enhance bilateral cooperation were discussed during the meeting, reported Geo News citing Inter-Service Public Relation (ISPR) as saying in a statement on Wednesday.
Islamabad remains committed to cooperating with its international partners for peace in the region, said Bajwa during his meeting with Rong.
The Chinese envoy also appreciated Islamabad for special measures taken to protect the China Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan, according to ISPR. Wang also reaffirmed the need for timely completion of the remaining projects.
The meeting took place as experts have raised concerns that CPEC the ambitious project of Beijing and Islamabad, has been trapped in Pakistan's worsening security situation, the rise of terror attacks in the country, and internal protests in Gwadar leading to slow progress of the project which has been disappointing Beijing.
The CPEC's northern end, where China has heavily invested in infrastructure that is already operational, the return of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan has raised prospects of threats from terror groups. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) are getting active not far from the route. While the Afghan Taliban are fighting the IS-K, the Imran Khan government is desperately seeking to reach a peace deal with the TTP, said a report by Geopolitica.