China temporarily closes consular office in Pakistan; here’s why

China has temporarily closed down the consular section of its embassy in Pakistan days after advising Chinese citizens to remain cautious due to the deteriorating security situation. However, China cited ‘technical issues’ for the closing of the consular section. 

The embassy, however, did not provide much information about what this ‘technical issue’ is or the timeline of the closure. It had announced it on its website. 

"Due to technical issues, the consular section of the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad will be temporarily closed from February 13, 2023, until further notice," the website’s message stated.

This comes after the Chinese government advised Chinese citizens to be cautious in Pakistan. It alerted its citizens and stated that they might be at risk due to the deteriorating security situation. Pakistan has seen an increase in terror attacks since last year. Last year a female suicide bomber killed three Chinese teachers in Karachi along with their local driver. 

The Pakistani Taliban group called off a truce with the Pakistani government. 

Chinese nationals who worked on the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have faced multiple attacks from various terrorist groups in the country. The $65-billion CPEC is a network of roads, railways, pipelines, and ports in Pakistan connecting China to the Arabian Sea.

Meanwhile, the Belt and Road infrastructure initiative is expected to help Pakistan modernise its economy. 

It must be mentioned that China is Pakistan’s most important partner, and the latter’s financial survival largely depends on the former.  

(With PTI inputs)

Also read: US balloons entered China's airspace 'over 10 times' since January 2022, claims Beijing