Chinese officials in Pakistan to get bullet-proof vehicles

To provide safety to Chinese nationals working on the CPEC projects in Pakistan, both countries have agreed to provide bullet-proof vehicles for all outdoor movement.

The $60 billion project, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connects Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur region of northwest China with Pakistan’s Gwadar port on the Arabian sea.

According to the Express Tribune, both Pakistan and China have also agreed to increase the capabilities of law enforcement agencies in Pakistan and investigators citing the draft minutes of the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee.

This is one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s favourite projects but progress on this was a bit difficult due to security concerns of the Chinese workers. Addressing the ties between the countries, Xi last week expressed his deep concern for Chinese nationals working on the CPEC project and asked for a safe and reliable environment for them.

The draft minutes cited that China has agreed to donate security-related gear to help Pakistan’s agencies to build the development. The Asian country has pledged all support for Pakistan, including providing private security guards and staff for enforcement agencies.

The National Forensic Science Agency (NSFA) would be constructed in order to hasten the investigation into crimes involving Chinese nationals. According to some insiders, China has also requested Pakistan to allow its security officers to safeguard Chinese nationals due to Chinese workers being frequently targeted. For this, both parties agreed on the establishment of a Joint Technical Expert Working Group (JTEWG) for security operations amid rising terrorism attacks.

However, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment in maintaining the tax and tariff policies staff, the draft revealed that the country has not been able to pay its taxes, while China remains stance on its demand asking Pakistan to timely pay its debt.

Source: Wionews