By Shannon Tiezzi
Now is the time for China and Pakistan to step up joints efforts to eliminate terrorist strongholds in the region.
On December 16, 141 people (including 132 children) were killed in a brutal attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan. The world reacted in horror and shock. Already, discussion is turning toward preventing future terrorist attacks – and Pakistan’s “all weather friend,” China, could contribute in a major way.
China reacted swiftly to new of the Peshawar attack. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang both expressed their condolences to their Pakistani counterparts. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said China was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the attack and condemned the attack “in the strongest terms.” He added that China “will stand firmly with the Pakistani government and people in their unremitting efforts to fight against terrorism and safeguard stability of the country and security of the people.”
In Wednesday’s press conference, Qin expanded on those points. He stressed that China and Pakistan support each other’s efforts at counter-terrorism. “Counter-terrorism and law-enforcement cooperation makes up an important part of China-Pakistan cooperation,” Qin said. “China will stand firmly behind Pakistan in its campaign against terrorism. We will further deepen our cooperation with the Pakistani side in this area.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat