ISLAMABAD: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday pressed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to step up protection for Chinese nationals and projects in the country, Chinese state media reported, as the two leaders met in Beijing to discuss economic cooperation and regional issues.

The unusually direct call from Xi highlighted Beijing’s growing unease after a series of deadly militant attacks have targeted its citizens in Pakistan in recent years. Chinese engineers, workers and projects linked to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have come under repeated assault in recent years, raising concerns in Beijing even as both sides emphasize their “iron-clad” strategic partnership.

“China hopes Pakistan will take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” Xi was quoted as saying by the Xinhua News Agency after he held talks with Sharif at the Great Hall of the People.

Sharif responded that his government would “spare no effort” in providing security, reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to the one-China principle. He also voiced support for Xi’s Global Governance Initiative — a new Chinese framework that calls for sovereign equality, multilateralism, and a greater role for developing nations in shaping international rules — which he described as significant for global peace, development and stability.

Sharif’s pledge comes against the backdrop of repeated militant attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

In March 2024, a suicide bombing killed five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver near the Dasu Dam hydropower project in northwestern Pakistan, an attack claimed by the Pakistani Taliban. In October the same year, two Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide bombing near Karachi airport. The attack was claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army.

Separatist militants in Balochistan accuse China of helping Pakistan exploit local resources, particularly around Gwadar port and mining projects. Beijing and Islamabad reject the allegations, saying Chinese investments are aimed at development and mutual benefit.

CPEC

The Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in its own statement on the meeting, said Sharif lauded CPEC as the flagship of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and reaffirmed Islamabad’s desire to work closely with Beijing for the next phase of the project.

The PMO added that both leaders “reaffirmed their shared commitment and resolve to further strengthen the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.” 

Sharif arrived in China on Saturday for a six-day visit that included attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin. On the sidelines, he has met leaders from China, Russia, Malaysia and the Central Asian republics.

Separately in Beijing on Tuesday, Sharif also held talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. The two agreed to deepen collaboration in trade, investment, connectivity, energy, security, and cultural exchanges, the Pakistani PMO said.

Sharif’s office has said he is also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during this trip.