BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson on Tuesday stressed that any attempt to undermine the China-Pakistan friendship would not succeed and said facts had once again proved that all-weather friendship was higher than mountains and deeper than the sea.
“I would like to stress that any attempt to undermine Sino-Pakistani friendship will not succeed. The Chinese side will maintain close communication with the Pakistani side on the follow up of the incident,” Gen Shuang said while responding to a question about the further update of the terrorist attack on the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi last week.
He said that the facts had once again proved that China-Pakistan friendship was higher than mountains and deeper than the sea. “Around this incident, the Chinese and Pakistani governments and the two peoples had shown firm mutual trust, support and friendship,” he added.
The spokesperson said the two peoples would firmly support each other and stand together, he said. China and Pakistan were well-deserved all-weather strategic partners, he added. The Chinese side believed the Pakistani side had the ability to maintain domestic security and stability and take resolute measures to safeguard China’s interests in Pakistan and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Pakistan, he stated.
He said that according to Pakistan’s investigation, the attack on the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi on November 23 was a terrorist attack. Two security guards sacrificed their lives while another security officer received injuries while two civilians also lost their lives during the attack, he said. All three militants were killed in the incident, he added.
Geng Shuang said that after the incident, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan specifically called the Chinese Consul General in Karachi to express condolences.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made an emergency call with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to inform the Chinese side and condemn the terrorist acts, he added. The UN Security Council also issued the strongest condemnation of the incident, he said.
He said that Sindh Governor and Chief Minister took a high-level trip to the Consulate General to express their condolences.
People from all walks of life in Pakistan had also expressed their condolences to the Chinese side in various ways, he stated.
The spokesperson informed that Pakistani authorities had assured to make every effort to investigate the case, resolutely crack down on the anecdotes and strengthen the security and protection of Chinese institutions, China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Chinese citizens in Pakistan.
He said that the Chinese side expressed deep gratitude to the Pakistani police for taking prompt and decisive action to effectively protect the safety of the Consulate General. It also expressed deep condolences over the death of civilians and the sincere condolences to the injured security personnel, he added.
In order to express respect for the Pakistani security personnel for their heroic behaviour and sacrifice, the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi paid a special visit to the hospital to visit injured security personnel.
In addition, many Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan, Chinese people from all over the world also spontaneously launched fund-raising activities.
Meanwhile, Chinese working in different Chinese companies at M-III Industrial Estate Faisalabad presented a cheque of Rs 1 million to Deputy Commissioner Sardar Saifullah Dogar as financial assistance for the families of cops martyred in attack on Chinese Consulate in Karachi on November 23.
Representatives of Chinese Zhang and Liu handed over the cheque to Deputy Commissioner Sardar Saifullah Dogar in his office in Faisalabad on Tuesday.
Chief Operating Officer Industrial Estate Development Management Company (FIEDMC) Aamir Saleemi was also present on the occasion.
Chinese representatives paid rich tributes to the martyrs police officials and said that they foiled the terrorists attack on Chinese Consulate by sacrificing their lives.
Expressing their sympathies, they said that people of China were grieved over loss of lives of two police officials.
They informed the financial assistance of Rs 1 million has been contributed by the Chinese staff of companies working at M-III Industrial Estate on self-help basis.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sardar Saifullah Dogar thanked the Chinese and their colleagues for giving financial assistance for the families of martyred police officials.