LM NEWS 24

Attacks On Chinese In Pakistan, Afghanistan On The Rise

By LokMarg 6th March 2023

A geographically, philosophically, and linguistically diverse spectrum of terror networks are becoming more antagonistic towards the second-largest economy in the world, China. This comes as China’s influence grows throughout Asia and beyond, Nikkei Asia reported.

Referring to the recent incidents of terror attacks as Longan Hotel, also known as Chinese Hotel, win central Kabul was attacked that left three terrorists dead and two foreigners injured.

The attack followed days after the terror attacking the Pakistani embassy in Kabul on December 2 with the target apparently being the head of mission.

The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed credit for both the attacks.

Apparently, the Chinese government was watching the scene from 4,000 kilometres away in Beijing. The following day, Wang Wenbin a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, reported that some Taliban security personnel had been killed and give Chinese citizens had been hurt. He claimed that China was extremely astonished.

A report in Nikkei Asia read, that this wasn’t a one-off incident.

They have been different complaints, ranging from East Africa and the Philippines to Afghanistan and Pakistan. But in their propaganda, broad and overlapping themes may be seen. Experts frequently see a strategic link between how these militant networks target China and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to undermine the local governments they are fighting.

In the upcoming years, this seems set to put Beijing and its allies to even more pressure. There are indications that Beijing is at least temporarily restricting its diplomatic presence in Pakistan, a key BRI investment recipient where Chinese interests have been assaulted numerous times over the years, as a result of rising security concerns, according to Nikkei Asia.

The Chinese Embassy said last week that its Consular Service Hall will be shut down “until further notice” for an unidentified “technical cause.” Yet, numerous sources Nikkei Asia spoke with indicated that security was a concern. There have been explicit threats made against the Chinese in Islamabad, according to a federal government official from Pakistan who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Security has been stepped up throughout the capital, he said, adding that this is one of the reasons.

This comes as the first such attack on Chinese interests since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Post the attack, China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, asked Chinese nationals to immediately leave Afghanistan. He said five Chinese nationals were wounded in the attack.

“The bombing occurred only a day after Chinese Ambassador Wang Yu met with Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai to discuss security and request more attention to the protection of Beijing’s embassy in Kabul,” reported Nikkei Asia.

CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory and counterterrorism specialist, Laith Alkhouri, in a statement to Nikkei Asia said that ISIS-K sees the targeting of Chinese nationals as a twofold benefit.

He said, “On the one side [they] score attack points, on the other it’s a… factor to grow their radical base. This tactic is consistent with the larger ISIS plan, which calls for assaults at convenient times that have significant propaganda value.”

Particularly in the northwest China region of Xinjiang, many militant organisations see Beijing as an imperial or colonial state that is cruel to its own people. More than 1 million Uyghur Muslims and other minorities are allegedly being held in camps, a claim Beijing refutes. At the same time, militants perceive China as aiding the regional authorities they disagree with, reported Nikkei Asia. (ANI)