A Chinese government team leaves for Pakistan on Friday to investigate kidnapping and ill-fated rescue of two Chinese engineers.
One of the engineers held hostage by al Qaeda-linked militants was killed on Thursday and his colleague rescued in a commando assault that killed five kidnappers.
"The team will convey the condolences from the leadership of the Communist Party of China and from the State Council to the victims and Chinese personnel in Pakistan," Xinhua news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry source as saying.
Chinese engineers Wang Ende and Wang Peng were heading to work on a dam project in the remote South Waziristan tribal region when they were kidnapped on Saturday by Uzbek and Pakistani militants led by a former Guantanamo Bay detainee.
Wang Peng, who had worked as a surveyor on the project, was critically wounded by gunfire from the kidnappers and later died, Military Spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said. Wang Ende was unharmed.
Both men worked for Chinese firm Sino Hydro Corp. The Chinese government team, headed by Chen Jian, assistant to the Minister of Commerce, includes personnel from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce and the Commission for Supervision and Management of state-owned properties under the State Council, Xinhua news agency said.
The Beijing News quoted Chinese Academy of Science scholar Zhang Yulan as saying that the hostage case would not influence Sino-Pakistan ties.
"But (I) suggest Chinese companies in Pakistan tighten security for staff, or withdraw some of them, no matter if it delays projects," he said. In an analysis, the newspaper said the case might influence foreign investment in Pakistan and tourism.
"Many Chinese delegations have cancelled their visits to Pakistan," it said without elaborating.
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