China pledges to strengthen Pakistan’s capacity in fight against coronavirus

China reaffirmed its support to strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to fight the coronavirus that has claimed millions of lives across the world.

According to a press release issued by Foreign Office on Thursday, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing called on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss Pakistan-China bilateral relations, fight against COVID-19, CPEC and other issues of mutual interest.

Thanking Bejing for extending support to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Global Initiative for Debt Relief at the recently-held G-20 meeting, FM Quershi underscored that Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic partners and have preserved the finer tradition of standing by each other through thick and thin.

While particularly appreciating the government and people of China for exhibiting solidarity and moral and material support to Pakistan in the wake of outbreak of COVID-19, the minister maintained that large amounts of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE’s) and medical equipment sent by Beijing have significantly strengthened our capacity to control the COVID-19.

Referring to CPEC as the transformational project, Qureshi noted that completion of CPEC projects was number one priority of the government.

“Both sides were working closely to further deepen cooperation during CPEC’s Second Phase which will have far-reaching impact on our industrial, agriculture, health, and socio-economic development sectors," the official communique read.

In response, Ambassador Yao Jing said China is Pakistan’s close friend and steadfast partner and Islamabad had also extended valuable support in China’s fight against outbreak of the virus.

Recalling President Alvi’s visit to coronavirus in March 2020, Yao Jing said that the gesture communicated tremendous solidarity to the Chinese people and further cemented the ties between both countries.

Reiterating the consensus reached between the highest leadership of both countries, FM Qureshi and Ambassador Yao Jing emphasised that the two ‘iron brothers’ would continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation and enhance exchanges between two countries at all levels, the official statement highlighted.