‘Deeply concerned about security of Chinese’, Xi Jinping tells Pakistan PM Sharif

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif is the first foreign head of government to visit Beijing following the start of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s third five-year term

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Chinese President Xi Jinping during his two days visit in Beijing, China, November 2, 2022. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Chinese leader Xi Jinping told visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif he was “deeply concerned” about the security of Chinese personnel working on projects in the country.

Mr. Xi also stressed Pakistan was “a priority in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy”, as the two leaders held talks in Beijing.

Mr. Sharif is the first foreign head of government to visit Beijing following the start of Mr. Xi’s third five-year term, after the conclusion of the Communist Party congress last month. Vietnam Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, who met Mr. Xi earlier this week on a party-to-party visit, was the first overseas visitor in Mr. Xi’s new term, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit the Chinese capital later this week, on Friday, underlining Beijing’s stepped up diplomacy following the congress even as the “zero-COVID” policy remains in place.

Mr. Xi and Mr. Sharif discussed the flagship China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan, but did not announce any new major investments. The official Associated Press of Pakistan reported China offered an additional $68 million in flood relief.

Mr. Xi pointedly noted in an official statement released by Beijing that he was “deeply concerned about the security of Chinese people in Pakistan and hopes that Pakistan will provide a reliable and safe environment for Chinese institutions and personnel going to Pakistan”.

This follows a number of attacks on Chinese nationals in the country. In April, three Chinese were killed following a suicide attack near a Confucius Institute in Karachi.

Mr. Xi also underlined Pakistan’s importance to China, saying they had an “iron-clad friendship” and Beijing “placed Pakistan in a priority in our neighbourhood diplomacy.”

He also called for both sides “to create conditions” to carry forward the still-discussed upgrading of the Main-Line 1 railway line from Karachi to Peshawar.

The Associated Press of Pakistan reported Mr. Sharif and Mr. Xi “discussed key issues pertaining to the region” which included the situation in Kashmir. This was not, however, mentioned in the Chinese statements.