China is ready to intensify cooperation with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and telecommunications crime, said Wang Xiaohong, China’s Minister of Public Security, in a meeting with Pakistan’s Minister of Interior and Counter-Narcotics in Beijing.
Efforts should be made to “effectively address various risks and challenges and jointly protect the national security and social stability of both countries,” Wang said, according to a statement released by his ministry.
Militants in Pakistan have repeatedly attacked Chinese nationals working on multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects in the South Asian country funded by Beijing. Attacks have become a major source of tension in recent years.
The two sides agreed to establish a three-month joint security task force and hold annual interior ministers’ meetings, Pakistan’s interior ministry said in a separate statement on Thursday.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the safety of Chinese nationals and Beijing-funded projects was a top priority, adding that Islamabad was establishing a special protection unit in the capital and welcomed China’s help in fighting cybercrime.
The ministers also agreed to expand police training exchanges, improve rapid response mechanisms against terrorism and crime, and enhance cooperation in cybercrime investigations, including the use of Chinese technology, the Pakistani ministry said.
China is pressuring Pakistan to strengthen protections after repeated militant attacks on Chinese engineers and workers involved in projects under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
(Vijesti.ba/Fena)
