HIGHTENED SECURITY: Police officers stand guard at the scene of the terrorist attack at the Kunming Railway Station on March 1 (CFP)

Stressing that the Pakistani people fully understand and share the pain of the people of China, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on March 2 that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

"We are ready to extend all possible cooperation to China in combating this menace," the statement said, adding that "our prayers and thoughts are with the families of the victims of this terrorist attack."

The United States called the attack in China's Kunming "an act of terrorism" and extended its condolences for the loss of life on March 3.

"The United States opposes terrorism in all of its forms," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a press briefing. "We deplore violence intentionally directed at innocent civilians in any case, regardless of the cause," she added.

On the same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan Yoshihide Suga told reporters at a news conference that Japan "deplores the indiscriminate mass killing," offering condolences to the survivors and bereaved families.

Other countries, including Germany, France, Britain, Australia and Afghanistan, all expressed condemnation of the brutal violence that caused heavy casualties.

However, CNN from the United States showed its doubts and disbelief by using quotation marks around the word "terrorists" in its reportage of the Kunming slaughter.

This reaction has drawn a slew of criticism from Chinese media and netizens. "Some Western media outlets, who take apparent stands against terrorism and for human rights, have turned a blind eye to the terrorist attack in Kunming," said the All-China Journalists Association on March 3." Some media outlets assumed an ambiguous attitude to the knife-wielding terrorists, calling them attackers or activists instead of terrorists."

"These are double standards," the association said in a statement. "They have violated the principle of objectivity and have shown a lack professional ethics in journalism. We call on journalists around the globe to obey the code of press ethics, discard political bias and work together to condemn terrorist violence of any form," it added.

Fu Ying, spokeswoman for this year's NPC session, called for more understanding and support from the international community for China's fight against terrorism at a press conference in Beijing on March 4.

Terrorism knows no boundaries, Fu stressed.