Terror attack won’t shake Pak-China cooperation

BEIJING: Friday's terror attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, is a warning signal to Beijing and Islamabad, an epitome of the intricate situation in the region thanks to complicated geopolitics, says a report published in the Chinese media on Monday.

With the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), interference and destructive actions from terrorist groups and foreign forces is inevitability. The steady and sustained China-Pakistan collaboration will not be shaken, yet facing continuing threats, more response measures must be taken.

The latest raid was claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant organization based in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and least populated province with the lowest level of economic and social development.

The BLA has been stirring up trouble in the area in recent years, advocating for the independence of Balochistan and fighting for more rights and resources from the Pakistani government through armed struggle.

According to a Global Times’ report, the BLA is only the tip of the iceberg of Pakistan's security risks. For quite some time, the nation's overall economic development has been slow, with constant harassment from the Taliban.

This reality confronting CPEC is a fact which China must face. How can Beijing ensure smooth development of the project against this backdrop? One key is to continue to promote development there, elevating ordinary people's living standards so as to improve the social foundation to implement good governance.

The basic capacity of Pakistan's industry is weak. The country must first of all be able to produce more of the products it needs. In this regard, quite a few Chinese companies have been aiding Pakistan's development through cooperation.

China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) signed contracts for the main civil works of the Dasu Hydropower Project in Islamabad in 2017, which will create approximately 8,000 jobs for local residents while helping to modernize the energy sector of the country.

Another key is to strengthen China-Pakistan security collaboration, especially joint works against terrorism. Over the years, a growing number of Chinese companies have set foot in Pakistan, yet news stories about them being kidnapped, robbed or attacked are not uncommon.