The security of Chinese citizens, particularly labourers and diplomats involved in infrastructure and other ventures under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — a flagship initiative under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — has remained a persistent concern.
China stated that it “hopes that the Pakistani military will continue to make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan.” It reiterated its commitment to prioritising Pakistan in its neighbourhood diplomacy and to deepening their “all-weather” friendship.
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According to China’s foreign ministry, Munir assured that the Pakistani military would take all necessary measures to guarantee security. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting in Islamabad on July 22, 2025, to review and enhance security protocols for Chinese personnel stationed in Pakistan.
Security concerns have been particularly acute in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, where China has invested in major infrastructure, including the country’s largest international airport. The region continues to grapple with a long-standing insurgency led by separatist groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), who demand independence from Islamabad.
These groups allege systemic oppression by the Pakistani state, citing forced disappearances and the denial of political and economic rights for the Baloch people.
In one of their most daring operations, BLA militants hijacked a train in Balochistan in March this year — an act experts interpret as a direct message to China and Pakistan that CPEC cannot move forward without addressing Baloch grievances.
The issue of security was also brought up earlier this year, when Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in February 2025.
(Edited by : Akanksha upadhyay)
