BEIJING: China today asked Pakistan to bring the killers of two Chinese nationals to justice, a day after DNA tests confirmed the identities of the couple murdered allegedly by Islamic State militants in the restive Balochistan province.
"We hope that Pakistan could continue its all-out efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here.
Pakistan yesterday said that the DNA reports have confirmed that the two persons killed in Balochistan were the same two Chinese nationals, who were kidnapped from Quetta.
Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26, were killed in June - a month after they were kidnapped from the Jinnah Town area of Quetta on May 24 allegedly by IS militants.
Pakistan later said the two were involved in preaching instead of business activities — their declared purpose for visiting Pakistan.
The confirmation from the Foreign Office comes months after the Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility for killing the couple, who had reportedly been "preaching" in Balochistan under the garb of learning Urdu.
Hua said China was in close coordination with Pakistan after learning about the murders. She said China condemns all forms terrorism and the violent acts on innocent civilians.
"China will cooperate with Pakistan and the international community to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation," she said.
China will always attach high importance to the security and legitimate rights of Chinese citizens overseas, she said, adding that Chinese citizens overseas should take good note of all the alerts being put out the Foreign Ministry.
Chinese interest in Balochistan has spiked in recent years after the announcement of the USD 50 billion China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which plans to connect the Pakistani port of Gwadar to Xinjiang in China.
In the past, China has asked Islamabad to improve security, especially in Balochistan, where it is building the Gwadar Port and funding roads as part of the CPEC.