Wang Ende, one of the two Chinese engineers held hostage in
Pakistan's western tribal belt, returned to China Friday night.
In a military operation launched by Pakistan forces Thursday to
free the Chinese hostages, Wang Ende was injured, and Wang Peng,
the other hostage, was killed.
Wang Peng's wife Meng Dequn also arrived together with Wang
Ende.
The body of Wang Peng has left Islamabad Saturday for Jinan,
capital city of China's eastern Shandong Province, Wang's
hometown.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei met Wang and Meng at the
airport, extending the sincere condolence of Chinese President Hu
Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
The Chinese government and leaders attached great importance to
the Chinese hostage issue, and urged the Pakistani side to properly
solve it, Wu said, adding that the Chinese Foreign Ministry also
made great efforts to keep close contacts with the Pakistani
side.
The Chinese side was in great grief for the death of Wang Peng,
and expressed sympathy for his wife, Wu noted.
Wu expressed his welcome for Wang Ende's return to motherland,
saying that Chinese engineers and technological personnel working
in Pakistan made important contribution to promote the friendly
cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani peoples.
Wang and Meng expressed their appreciation for the concern of
Chinese leaders.
Gunmen kidnapped Wang Ende and Wang Peng last Saturday near
Jandala in Pakistan's restive South Waziristan Tribal Agency
bordering Afghanistan.
The engineers had been working on a water dam and a canal in the
region for the China National Water Resources and Hydropower
Engineering Group Corporation.
Pakistani security forces are undertaking the hunting for
Abdullah Mehsud, the brain behind the scene of the abduction of two
Chinese engineers, Interior Minister Ahmad Sherpao told Xinhua
Saturday.
"We are hopefully to nab the mastermind of the tragedy very
soon," the minister said while talking to Xinhua at the conclusion
of the farewell ceremony for the body of Wang Peng.
Military forces are netting the terror element in the South
Waziristan tribal region, said the minister.
The Pakistani side had made all efforts to achieve the safe
release of the hostages through negotiations, he said.
After all the peaceful bids failed, he added, the security
personnel launched the action.
"And unfortunately, one of our Chinese friends expired," said
the minister.
Abdullah Mehsud, the brain behind the abducting scene, has spent
over a year in US detention in Guantanamo for his involvement in
the fight with US troops in 2001 in neighboring Afghanistan.
He was freed in March this year and resumed command of a team of
militants in the South Waziristan.
The hostage crisis attracted intensive coverage by Chinese media
and received concerns from Chinese citizens.
Wu Jun, a 26-year-old Chinese young man who has been assigned to
travel to Tunis next month, grieved for a whole day when he heard
of the death of the kidnapped Chinese engineer Wang Peng
Friday.
He told Xinhua he felt very sad for the loss of such a young
life and furious over the brutal kidnapping.
"I have been watching this closely, and I feel really bad for
Wang Peng's death," he said.
Wu said he will be extremely careful in Tunis because the
kidnapping made him realize that Chinese working overseas were no
longer as safe as before.
"I will be very alert to protect myself, and I will help the
people around to raise their awareness of self-protection," Wu
said.
Sun Jing, an English editor working at a Chinese encyclopedia
publishing house, said that she would always remember the day that
a Chinese life was lost for nothing, urging local governments to do
a better job of protecting foreigners.
"I understand that Pakistan made great efforts to save Wang's
life, but I still wish that the young man could have had a chance
to escape, she said.
Security experts urged Chinese sent to work abroad to further
increase their awareness of individual security and the risks in
foreign lands.
"There is no absolute safe place for Chinese now," said Prof.
Jin Canrong with the International Relations College of Chinese
People's University in Beijing.
He said Chinese businesses engaged in overseas projects should
put the lives of their employees as a priority and enhance security
systems.
"As Wang's colleague who worked in Pakistan for five years, I
felt heartbroken when I heard his death," said an anonymous on
Xinhua's website.
The writer expressed the hope that the several hundred Chinese
engineers in Pakistan could accomplish their mission and come home
safe and sound as soon as possible.
(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2004)