Chinese engineers attacked in Pakistan, Beijing asks Islamabad to take action, what does it say about bilateral relations?

On March 26, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a dam project in northwestern Pakistan, killing six people.

Nhóm kỹ sư Trung Quốc bị tấn công liều chết ở Pakistan, Bắc Kinh yêu cầu Islamabad hành động khẩn

Scene of the suicide bombing targeting Chinese engineers in Pakistan on March 26. (Source: AFP)

Peshawar police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said the incident occurred when the Chinese engineers were on their way from Islamabad to work at the dam construction site in Dasu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Five Chinese nationals and one Pakistani were killed in the bombing, the third major attack on Chinese interests in the South Asian country in the past week, including one on an air base and another on a strategic port in Balochistan province, where Beijing has invested billions of dollars.

No individual or organization has yet claimed responsibility. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has condemned the incident and said the country will continue its fight against the militants.

The attacks came a week before Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was scheduled to travel to Beijing, his first visit since taking office following elections in February, a source in the Prime Minister's Office said.

After the incident, Reuters reported, Chinese diplomatic missions in Pakistan immediately carried out emergency rescue work and asked Islamabad to "thoroughly investigate, severely punish the perpetrators, and implement practical measures" to ensure security.

Meanwhile, on March 27, THX quoted a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying that Beijing strongly condemned the terrorist attack and asked Pakistan to thoroughly investigate the incident as soon as possible.

"We demand that Pakistan take effective measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese citizens, projects and organizations in the country. Beijing is making every effort to cooperate with Islamabad in the follow-up," the spokesman said.

The official noted that China and Pakistan are all-around strategic cooperative partners with a strong friendship, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has made great contributions to Pakistan's socio-economic development.

Asserting that any attempt to undermine bilateral cooperation would never succeed, Beijing said it would firmly support Islamabad in the fight against terrorism.

Pakistan has seen frequent insurgencies by Muslims and other minorities seeking secession.

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