'Don't trust Pak soldiers': Xi faces flak for Chinese deaths in Pakistan

Many Chinese companies in Pakistan have reportedly turned to Chinese security engineers to gather intelligence amid inadequate local security arrangements

Chinese President Xi Jinping is under mounting pressure to better secure his country's interests in volatile regions like Pakistan following a bomb attack by Pakistani separatists last month that killed two Chinese engineers, the Financial Times has reported.

 

Reflecting the challenges faced by Chinese workers in Pakistan, one businessman in the country's Punjab province told the Financial Times, "We don't trust that more Pakistani soldiers will keep us safe...". Instead, he said, "... We would prefer it was Chinese."

 

Stating that there's "not as much opportunity" in Pakistan and "the security is bad", the Chinese businessman reportedly added, "Many Chinese want to leave." 

 

 

Many Chinese companies, facing security gaps in Pakistan, have reportedly turned to Chinese security engineers to develop plans, handle incidents, conduct background checks for local personnel, gather intelligence, and manage armed local guards, underscoring the inadequacy of local security arrangements.

 

These concerns have come to the fore amid the rising threat to Chinese investments in Pakistan, particularly the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a critical part of Xi's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Recent attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have highlighted the risks, reportedly sparking debate over Beijing's inability to address these persistent security issues. 

 

Challenges with Local Security Measures

  Despite significant allocations by Pakistan to safeguard Chinese investments, including over 15,000 personnel deployed across two special security divisions and additional provincial police units, the measures have failed to meet China's expectations, said the report.

 

Noting that part of this protection is actually funded by China's defence ministry, the report said that incidents like the recent shooting of two Chinese workers in Karachi by a Pakistani security guard have underscored the limitations of local forces in ensuring safety. 

 

Beijing’s dissatisfaction with these arrangements has prompted internal directives for Chinese personnel to oversee security matters. Speaking to the Financial Times, Zhou Chao, a former security manager for the Lahore Metro Orange Line project, explained that Chinese companies often station Chinese officers at project sites while hiring hundreds of local guards to compensate for Pakistan's ban on armed foreign contractors.

 

According to Zhou, China's central government has issued an internal directive to "let Chinese take care of the security of Chinese". But, these efforts have been hindered by strict regulations that limit the capacity of Chinese private security firms to operate effectively abroad. 

 

Chinese Security Companies Face Constraints 

Chinese private security firms have been following their country's state-owned enterprises abroad to safeguard infrastructure and resource projects. While some expected these firms to evolve into global players akin to Blackwater or Wagner Group, the report said that they remain constrained by Beijing's tight grip on military and policing functions.

 

Pakistan, for its part, also does not allow foreign armed security contractors in the country, further compounding these challenges. As a solution, Zhou told the Financial Times, Chinese companies station Chinese security officers at the project company, "two at a time, and hire 400 to 500 local guards". 

 

According to the report, many executives also rely on what it described as "Chinese security engineers" to design security frameworks, handle incidents, and ensure intelligence-gathering to address risks on the ground.

 

Diplomatic Push Amid Rising Casualties 

A suicide attack near Karachi's airport in October left two Chinese citizens dead and 10 others injured. The BLA has claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

The October bombing is the latest in a string of attacks that have pushed Chinese officials to adopt a firmer stance on security. During Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to Pakistan on October 15, in a joint statement, China "stressed the urgent need to adopt targeted security measures in Pakistan to jointly create a safe environment for co-operation between the two countries".

 

Days later, Chinese ambassador Jiang Zaidong described the attacks as "unacceptable" and warned that security concerns were becoming a "constraint to CPEC". 

 

In the wake of the October blast, and the string of previous attacks, a Chinese executive reportedly said that Beijing has been in discussions with Islamabad about allowing Chinese security companies to operate in Pakistan. However, the executive added that Beijing has been "explicitly rebuffed" by Pakistan "several times".

 

Amid these developments, Chinese investments in Pakistan have declined sharply, according to the report. Citing the Frontier Services Group, it said that delays and cancellations of projects have increased due to instability, with many Chinese workers returning home. The group's 2023 annual report reportedly noted that employees of Chinese companies in Pakistan had been encouraged to leave due to safety concerns.

 

Noting that the challenges in Pakistan have amplified dissatisfaction among Chinese investors and workers, the news report quoted an executive at a large Chinese security firm as saying, "The government is failing to comprehensively solve this security problem."