China condemns violence as shipping employee shot dead in Pakistan

Beijing condemned extremist and violent actions targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan as one Chinese man was shot dead on Monday in what police said was a targeted attack in Karachi.

The victim, identified as Chen Zhu, 45, who worked with a shipping company, was in his car when he was attacked in an upmarket area of the port city.

At least 10 shots were fired at the car, and Chen suffered a single bullet wound in the head, police told Reuters.

The Chinese consulate general in the city confirmed the incident, Xinhua News Agency reported.

While there was no claim of responsibility and the motive was not immediately clear, China warned its nationals in Pakistan of plans for imminent attacks on Chinese targets there.

China will continue tracking the case and providing assistance to the victim’s family in tackling the aftermath, Foreign Geng Shuang, foreign ministry spokesman Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during a daily news conference on Tuesday.

The Chinese consulate general immediately sent personnel to the scene and the hospital to follow the situation, he said.

China and Pakistan have maintained close communication about the case, and China demanded the hospital to make full efforts to rescue the victim and urged the Pakistani police to solve the case as soon as possible to bring the criminals to justice.

The Pakistani government and military have taken actions on anti-terrorism and social security governance to safeguard domestic security and stability in recent years, Geng said.

“We hope and believe that Pakistan will continue to take measures to guarantee the security of Chinese institutions and individuals in the country,” he said.

Azad Khan, deputy inspector general of Karachi’s south zone, said: “The incident appears to be targeted attack, (it) doesn’t look like a mugging . ... The victim is associated with Cosco Shipping Lines Co, a Chinese shipping company. We are trying to get further details.”

Another officer, Javed Akbar Riaz, said that Chen had an employee ID from Cosco.

A company spokeswoman in China said the cause of the incident was unclear and that there had been no impact on operations.

“The company has taken steps, first to ensure the safety of our staff overseas; second, to inform the family so that they can go and make funeral arrangements; and thirdly, we immediately contacted the local consulate and embassy to get their assistance,” she said.

Wang Chunguang, a researcher from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, advised Chinese employers provide more trainings to the employees about self protection under dangerous environment, and diplomatic missions there publish detailed security alarms more frequently.

We hope and believe that Pakistan will continue to take measures to guarantee the security of Chinese institutions and individuals.”