Pakistan takes necessary steps for security of Chinese nationals: foreign ministry

ISLAMABAD, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The government is taking all necessary steps at the national and provincial levels to ensure the security of Chinese nationals and companies in Pakistan, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

There is a clear, continuous and strong commitment from the leadership regarding the security details of Chinese nationals and companies working in Pakistan, specifically on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said here during a weekly media briefing.

It is especially important in the context of the protection of CPEC itself, and there is a continuing discussion with the Chinese side on this matter, the spokesperson said.

"We also remain in touch with our Chinese friends on any possible moves that we may need to take to advance our shared objectives with regard to countering terrorism and protecting CPEC and related personnel and infrastructure," he added.

"We are confident that we will together take steps to effectively deal with the challenge and to take forward the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership," the spokesperson added. ■