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Karachi attack: China consulate attack leaves four dead
Gunmen have killed at least four people in an attack on the Chinese consulate in the Pakistani port city of Karachi. Gunshots were heard at about 09:30 local time (04:30 GMT) outside the consulate in the upmarket Clifton area. Police shot dead three attackers.
Separatist militants who oppose Chinese investment projects in western Pakistan say they carried out the attack. [...] All the staff inside the consulate are safe, China said. The government condemned the attack on its mission and the foreign ministry in Beijing called for extra measures to protect Chinese citizens in Pakistan. "At the same time we mourn the deaths of the Pakistani police and think of their families at this time," a spokesman said.
[...] A separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, said it had carried out the attack. It is one of a number of separatist groups operating in the province, which has seen a long-running nationalist insurgency. "We have been seeing the Chinese as an oppressor, along with Pakistani forces," a spokesman for the group told the AFP news agency.
Over the years, construction projects and Chinese workers in Balochistan have been repeatedly targeted by militants. Most recently, a suicide bombing in August injured a number of Chinese engineers. So far, none of the incidents has been large enough in scale to really threaten the viability of Chinese investment in the country. But this is one of the most prominent attacks to date.
Gunmen attack Chinese consulate in Karachi
Baloch said the fighters were members of the Fidayeen Majeed Brigade, a new force raised by the group to carry out suicide attacks against Pakistani security forces and Chinese targets.
In August, the BLA launched a suicide attack targeting a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbandin, wounding at least six people.
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and least populated province, will see a number of new roads and a port constructed under the $56bn China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an infrastructure and energy corridor that sees southwestern China linked to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan.
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(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Saturday November 24 2018, @01:56AM (3 children)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Pakistan_Economic_Corridor [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karakoram_Highway [wikipedia.org]
China borders Pakistan, which can't be said for a lot of the places China is investing in, such as parts of Africa.
China and Pakistan have been close allies since the 70s.
Pakistani instability can only run so deep since they have a relatively powerful military and nuclear weapons. It may be "too big to fail" and countries will intervene to keep things from spiraling out of control.
There's a lot of money to be made with CPEC. Pakistan will experience rapid modernization in many parts of the country, making it less like Afghanistan. This could result in less violence.
China will forge forward even if a few Chinese citizens have to die. But if there is continued terrorism, it's likely to disproportionately affect Pakistanis. Well, China has its own problems at "home" in Xinjiang.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Arik on Saturday November 24 2018, @03:29AM (1 child)
Does the US limit overseas investments to neighboring countries?
I mean what you're saying is true, but one wonders why you selected that as being important enough to mention.
"China and Pakistan have been close allies since the 70s."
True. And the fundamental reason for the alliance is as stable as it is regrettable - both nations share the same primary enemy. India.
India has what we might call *deep* even *existential* conflicts with both of them. India will never rest until it re-absorbs Pakistan (which is sort of the Indian homeland, at least in the view of many Indians,) and the borders between India and China, despite these being two of the most ancient civilizations in the world in a sense, have yet to really be set.
"Pakistani instability can only run so deep since they have a relatively powerful military and nuclear weapons. It may be "too big to fail" and countries will intervene to keep things from spiraling out of control."
But interventions intended to prevent 'x' can easily cause 'x' instead.
"Pakistan will experience rapid modernization in many parts of the country, making it less like Afghanistan. This could result in less violence."
So far, however, it's had mostly the opposite effect. Less like Afghanistan, perhaps, but more like Saudi Arabia. Not really a win.
"China will forge forward even if a few Chinese citizens have to die."
And the PRC is marching with firm resolve right back into their own recent dark ages.
"But if there is continued terrorism, it's likely to disproportionately affect Pakistanis. Well, China has its own problems at "home" in Xinjiang."
Mhhmm. This is the worst case outcome for them, why are they so doggedly insisting on making it happen?
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @12:58PM
For as long as china continues to kill muslims there will be no peace between them
Given that muslims have stolen the land from india ages ago there will be no peace either then until they are all gone
(Score: 3, Interesting) by CZB on Saturday November 24 2018, @05:35PM
It seems necessary and inevitable for China to build an economic corridor through Pakistan, but I wonder what level of "local problems" it can sustain.
https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/india/articles/20181120.aspx [strategypage.com]