The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday dismissed reports of Beijing pushing Islamabad to join security efforts in Pakistan, terming them as “speculations […] motivated by an agenda to create confusion”.

The statement by Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch comes amid heightened security concerns, with China’s envoy recently expressing frustration over the attacks, which Baloch said were “perplexing” remarks.

However, on Monday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson reaffirmed Beijing’s support for Pakistan in countering terrorism. Lin Jian also asserted that China and Pakistan had “the resolve and capability to foil any attempt to harm China-Pakistan relations and ensure that terrorists will pay the price”.

Responding to queries during a weekly press briefing in Islamabad today, Baloch said: “We do not respond to media speculations that are based on unreliable sources and motivated by an agenda to create confusion about the nature of this relationship.

“We advise media to ascertain the motivation of individuals who feed them such stories,” she stressed.

The spokesperson further asserted: “We would not allow any effort to derail the Pakistan-China strategic partnership.”

Two major deadly attacks have occurred this year — a March blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bisham killed five Chinese nationals while another blast near Karachi airport last month killed two citizens of the neighbouring country.

A media report this week, citing “five Pakistani security and government sources”, stated Beijing was pushing Islamabad to allow its own security staff to protect thousands of Chinese citizens working in Pakistan.

Neither Beijing nor Islamabad have confirmed the talks officially. The interior and planning ministries had not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment on the report, which also cited a “written proposal sent by Beijing to Islamabad”.

Echoing her Chinese counterpart’s remarks, Baloch asserted today: “Pakistan and China have the resolve and capability to foil any attempt to harm China-Pakistan relations, including by spreading stories about the nature of our cooperation.

“Pakistan and China have robust dialogue and cooperation on [a] range of issues, including counterterrorism and security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan,” she said, adding that the dialogue was based on mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation.

“We will continue to work with our Chinese brothers for the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.

Quoting her Chinese counterpart, Baloch said: “Attempts to undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries will not succeed.”