On 30 August, the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek was targeted by a suicide vehicle-bome improvised explosive device (SVBIED). Although the driver was the only fatality, the attack heightened Chinese concerns about security in Central Asia, a region to which Beijing has made extensive diplomatic and economic overtures. The latest of these is the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism (QCCM) in counter-terrorism, the formation of which was announced in a press release by Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on 3 August. The QCCM is an agreement between the armed forces of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and Tajikistan to provide mutual support against "terrorism and extremism". The second meeting of the QCCM working group took place in Beijing between 8-10 November. A statement released on the English-language version of the China Military website following the meeting noted that the text of the QCCM agreement was due to be signed by "high-level military leaders" from the four states in 2017, at which point further details of the practical measures under discussion may emerge.
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