Chinese safety sought in Pakistan

BEIJING, July 18 (UPI) -- China, whose citizens have been hit in recent Pakistani violence despite being a close ally, has asked the Muslim country to ensure the safety of its people.

The request came from Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan during a meeting with his visiting Pakistani counterpart Kamran Rasool, the official Xinhua reported Wednesday.

Chinese officials said they were increasingly concerned that the growing violence in Pakistan has been targeting Chinese working in that country, especially in the northwest where Taliban and al-Qaida attacks are rising. In the most recent incident early this month in Peshawar, gunmen killed three Chinese workers and wounded a fourth.

"The incident would not shake the foundation of the friendship between China and Pakistan but I hope the government of Pakistan will take measures to further ensure safety of Chinese people in Pakistan," Cao was quoted as saying.

The report noted China had earlier condemned the attack and has urged Pakistan to get to the bottom of the attack at the earliest and severely punish the shooters.

Rasool expressed regret over the incident and said his government is doing its best to provide sound safety measures to Chinese nationals in Pakistan.