Pakistan-China relationship cannot be derailed: FO

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan said on Thursday afternoon that said Pakistan and China relationship cannot be derailed.

Speaking at a news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “Let’s not get carried away with speculation. I would not like to respond to media speculations that are based on unreliable sources and motivated by an agenda to create confusion about the nature of Pakistan-China relationship. We advise the media to ascertain the motives of individuals who are feeding them such stories. Pakistan and China have a robust dialogue and cooperation on a range of issues, including counter terrorism and security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan.”

She added: “ This dialogue is based on mutual respect, mutually beneficial cooperation and respect for each other’s sovereignty. We will continue to work with our Chinese brothers for safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan. As iron brothers and strategic partners, Pakistan and China have the resolve and capability to foil any attempts to harm Pakistan-China relations, including by spreading stories about the nature of this relationship which is based on mutual trust, mutual confidence and mutually beneficial cooperation.”

She further mentioned: “As my Chinese counterpart said, attempts to undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries will not succeed. We will not allow any efforts or stories to derail the Pakistan-China Strategic Partnership.”

The spokesperson contended that Pakistan and China have a robust dialogue and cooperation on a range of issues, including counter terrorism and security matters.

“This dialogue is based on mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. We will continue to engage with our Chinese friends and partners with respect to security and counter terrorism matters. With respect to any specific proposal in the domain of security and intelligence, I would not comment, given their sensitive nature,” she remarked.

She maintained that Pakistan is serious about providing full security to Chinese nationals, institutions and entities in Pakistan. “For that matter, we remain engaged with the Chinese government as well as Chinese companies which are based in Pakistan. The SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) on security continue to be strengthened. I will not go into the details of these SOPs and the mechanisms that are devised to enhance security of Chinese nationals and projects in Pakistan. Pakistan has raised a security force to protect the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects in Pakistan and this security apparatus continues to provide security to the CPEC projects inside Pakistan.”