Chinese Church Voices

Mourning Two Chinese Christians Killed in Pakistan

Chinese Church Voices is an occasional column of the ChinaSource Blog providing translations of original writing by Christians in China. The views represented are entirely those of the original author; inclusion in Chinese Church Voices does not imply or equal an endorsement by ChinaSource.


News of two Chinese Christians killed in Pakistan last week by ISIS shocked many Chinese Christians. On Chinese social media channels, bloggers have offered their prayers for the two martyrs and have tried to piece together exactly what happened. Lots of confusion surrounded the events. Details are still forthcoming.

Chinese Christian bloggers expressed dismay over the reaction from the Chinese-government-run news sites, including Global Times. They claim government sources laid heavy blame on the Korean missionary who allegedly organized the mission work, as well as on the two young Chinese missionaries themselves, insinuating they were naïvely duped into going to Pakistan. A Global Times report noted that this incident should “serve as a lesson” to other Chinese.

As news and details come out, Chinese Christians continue to express their sympathies and ask questions about the event. The following is a summary of the events from China Christian Daily.

Meng Li Si and Li Xinheng who were abducted on May 24 in Quetta, the capital city of Baluchistan province in Pakistan.

Pakistan Confirms Death of Chinese Missionaries

Pakistan confirmed the deaths of two Chinese nationals abducted by the Islamic State on Monday, claiming that they were “preachers” who were ages 24 and 26, according to the latest report of Reuters released on June 12, 2017.

A previous report from Reuters published on June 8 revealed that the Islamic State kidnapped the two Chinese citizens on May 24 while in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province. They were teachers in a local private school.

According to a report by The News International on June 11, Huanqiu.com stated that the two victims and the other 11 Chinese arrived in Pakistan on June 12 holding business visas. Nine of them were female and belonged to a “mysterious organization.” Currently the Pakistan police are investigating the case from "another angle." The owner of the organization is a Korean Christian who was carrying out local missionary work. He is still in Pakistan. 

On May 24, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan confirmed the kidnapping of the two Chinese nationals in Quetta, the capital city of Baluchistan province, and immediately took emergency measures. Embassy staff urged the Pakistanis to release more information and rescue the abductees.

The names of the victims were Meng Li Si and Li Xinheng. Because of their missionary identities, Chinese Christians are tuned into the issue. They are mourning the murder with various perspectives and commentating on the event. After a report came out on June 8 from the Global Times that indicated the two might be missionaries, Chinese Christians shared an exclusive report from a Chinese newspaper. Elsa, a local friend of theirs, shared about their lives in Pakistan and clarified that they were not a married couple. "They came to Pakistan for work. They were close friends." She said that the two and the other 13 Chinese taught Chinese in a Korean-run language institute. Each was paid 30,000 rupees (about 286 dollars) a month. She explained that they studied Urdu recently because they had to do so as part of their teaching requirements. Their language institute didn't have a name and was set up in a house beside a white mosque without any mark or advertisement. "I have never seen people kinder than them," added Elsa.

As of now, specific and accurate information about the event is still unclear.

Original article: 巴基斯坦官方确认被绑架两名中国人已遇害 系“传教士” (基督时报)
English Translation: Pakistan Confirms Death of Chinese Missionaries  (China Christian Daily)

Edited, adapted and reposted with permission.

Header image credit: Umer Malik, via Flickr.
Text image credit: China Christian Daily.
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