Islamic State killed two Chinese citizens kidnapped in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, who were teachers in a local private school, on May 24, the militant group's Amaq news agency said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
On May 24, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan confirmed the kidnapping of the two Chinese nationals in Quetta, the capital city of Baluchistan province in Pakistan, and immediately launched the emergency response mechanism, urging the Pakistani side to require disclosure of the fact and rescue the abductees. AFP reported that the Chinese couple was kidnapped when dining with another Chinese woman in a local restaurant.
In the China's Foreign Ministry Regular Press Conference on June 9, 2017, Spokesperson Hua Chunying replied, "Following the abduction of the two Chinese nationals in Pakistan in late May, relevant departments of the Chinese government and the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan launched the emergency response mechanism immediately. We have stayed in close communication and coordination with Pakistan and spared no effort to rescue them. According to the information offered by the Pakistani side, the two abducted citizens might have been killed. We are highly concerned about that, and are trying to learn more about and verify the relevant information through various channels."
On that day, a report from Global Times claimed that their foreign correspondents learned that the teachers were brought by a Korean to evangelize in Zhenna Town of Quetta, where a language training center is opened by Koreans, last November. A total of 13 Chinese people including the two teachers went to the school whose name is abbreviated to ARK and where young people are trained to study Urdu. However, their study and life were quite religious.
On May 24 when they were kidnapped, some Chinese Christians called for prayer for them, sharing that they were missionaries.
Currently, Christians in China pay attention to this issue. A Chinese Christian shared an inclusive report from a Chinese newspaper that Elsa, a local friend of them shared their life in Pakistan and clarified that they were not a couple.
"They came to Pakistan for work, who were close friends." She said that Meng Li-Si and Li Xinheng and the other 13 Chinese taught Chinese in a Korean-run language institute, each paid 30000 rupees (about 286 dollars) monthly. She revealed that they studied Urdu recently because they had to master Urdu owing to the teaching acquirement, planning to open a Chinese course.Their language institute didn't have a name and was set up a house beside a white mosque without any mark or advertisement. "I have never seen more kind people like them." Added Elsa.
As of now, specific and accurate information of the event as well as the development have been unclear.
In July 2007, the terrorist organization Taliban abducted 23 mission volunteers sent by Korean Saemmul Presbyterian Church. The remaining 21 hostages were released after being imprisoned for 42 days. The incident aroused concern in the international community, having a far-reaching impact on the development and evangelization of the Korean Church.
Translated by Karen Luo
