Punish attackers, Beijing asks Pakistan as 9 chinese were killed

In Pakistan, nine Chinese workers were among 13 people killed on Wednesday when a blast on a bus sent it careering down a ravine in northwestern Pakistan, government and police officials said.  Chinese embassy in Islamabad said its people had been “attacked.” The bus was carrying Chinese engineers, surveyors and mechanical staff to the Dasdam construction site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,  “The blast ignited the engine and rushed the vehicle into the canyon,” he said, adding that 28 more Chinese were injured. In Pakistan, the safety of Chinese workers has long been a concern. Many of them are based in the country to supervise and build infrastructure projects. Pakistan's foreign ministry in a statement said the bus "plunged into a ravine after a mechanical failure, resulting in leakage of gas that caused a blast"

“A project by a Chinese company in Pakistan was attacked and killed Chinese citizens,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement Wednesday, urging Chinese companies to strengthen security procedures. Beijing has been spending billions of dollars on Pakistan in recent years to strengthen Pakistan’s infrastructure. However, China-funded projects have caused resentment, especially among separatist groups. They say that the locals see little benefit and most of their work is directed to outsiders. China called for the prompt arrest of the attackers. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian blamed the attack and called on Pakistan to “severely punish” the country’s perpetrators and “seriously protect the security of China’s people, organizations and projects.”