China to help Pakistan probe 'preaching' by kidnapped citizens
The jihadist IS group claimed last week that it had killed the Chinese man and woman
BEIJING (AFP) - China said Wednesday it will cooperate with Pakistani authorities to investigate whether two Chinese citizens who were allegedly killed by the Islamic State group in Pakistan had been illegally preaching.
China was "intensifying" efforts to verify whether the two Chinese citizens were indeed killed following their abduction, adding that Pakistan has yet to confirm their deaths.
The jihadist IS group claimed last week that it had killed the Chinese man and woman.
Pakistan s interior ministry said in a statement that the Chinese citizens had entered the country on business visas but instead "were actually engaged in preaching" in Quetta. It did not specify what kind of preachers they were.
"We always require the Chinese citizens to abide by the local laws and regulations in travelling or living in foreign countries and to respect the customs of the local people," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing.
"On the information of possible preaching by these two people, we will cooperate with Pakistan to investigate for further information," Lu said.
Beijing is ramping up investment in its South Asian neighbour as part of a plan unveiled in 2015 that will link its far-western Xinjiang region to Gwadar port in Balochistan with a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades.
Pakistan has been battling Islamist and nationalist insurgencies in mineral-rich Balochistan since 2004, with hundreds of soldiers and militants killed in the fighting.
The IS group has been making inroads in the country through alliances with local militant outfits, although its presence is generally downplayed by the government.
