Chinese envoy stresses security post-Dasu attack

ISLAMABAD:

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong on Sunday expressed confidence that the high-level consensus and joint efforts of the relevant security departments would elevate security cooperation to new heights, ensuring a safe environment and reliable protection for the development of China-Pakistan relations.

He recalled that since the visit took place following the terrorist attack on the Chinese convoy of the Dasu Hydropower Project on March 26, 2024, both sides have placed great importance on security issues.

“President Xi Jinping has made it clear that China supports Pakistan in firmly combating terrorism and hopes that Pakistan will continue to create a safe, stable, and predictable business environment, effectively protecting the safety of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan,” he said.

He mentioned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promised that Pakistan would resolutely crack down on and severely punish the terrorists involved and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.

The envoy said that China is ready to work with Pakistan to “actively implement” its Global South initiative of common development and shared cooperation.

In an interview with APP, the Chinese envoy expressed his country’s readiness to implement these measures for Pakistan along with other countries, which he said showed “China’s firm determination to promote the development and revitalization of the Global South”.

Ambassador Jiang highlighted that China’s five principles of peaceful coexistence provided a vision to address the global challenges and ensure a shared vision of global peace, security and prosperity.

The Global South region, he said, in recent years stood out with a strong momentum, with its contribution to world economic growth in the past two decades as high as 80%, and the global share of GDP increased from 24% to more than 40% in the past 40 years.

He said in political field, the Global South countries were no longer the silent majority on the international stage, and were regarded as the “key force for the transformation of the international order”.

He said China would firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions.

“China is willing to work with Pakistan to take the opportunity of implementing the outcomes of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and bring more tangible benefits to our two peoples,” he said.

The Chinese envoy said the visit achieved “expected goals and fruitful results” and provided guideline for promoting the all-weather strategic cooperation in the new era.