China reiterates continuous support to Pakistan in battle against COVID-19

BEIJING, June 4 (APP)::China on Thursday reiterated its willingness for continuous support to Pakistan in a battle against COVID-19 and said it was ready to work with all-weather strategic cooperative partner to overcome the pandemic.
“We are willing to continue to provide support as far as we can, according to Pakistan’s needs, and work with Pakistan to overcome the pandemic,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during his regular briefing held here.
He said that China and Pakistan were all-weather strategic cooperative partners, adding, “As China has repeatedly said before, after the outbreak, China and Pakistan have given each other selfless support and sincere help.”
The spokesperson said, at the most difficult time for China to fight the pandemic, the Pakistani government and the people vigorously supported China’s anti-virus struggle.
While commenting on President Arif Alvi’s visit to China during the outbreak, he said that President Alvi visited China, and Pakistan also provided a lot of material assistance to China.
“When Pakistan needed help, the Chinese central and local governments, enterprises, charities, and friendly people from all walks of life were taking steps to provide Pakistan with tens of millions of dollars in anti-virus materials and cash,” he added.
He said the Chinese government sent the first anti-virus medical expert team to Pakistan at the end of March to carry out a three-week work. China had also actively provided technical support to Pakistan, and had held video conferences to share experience in anti-pandemic.
About Chinese People’s Liberation Army expert group’s visit to Pakistan to fight against COVID-19, he said the visit was the epitome of the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.
For more than a month, the expert team did not fear the risk of the pandemic and spared no effort. It visited many local medical institutions, exchanged experiences with officials of the Pakistani competent department and medical experts, and guided Pakistani medical staff to treat patients.
Zhao Lijian said Pakistan’s deep friendship with mutual assistance and mutual help had been widely recognized and highly appraised by all sectors of Pakistani society.
President Alvi received the expert group cordially on June 3rd and positively evaluated their contribution to the prevention and control of the coronavirus in Pakistan.
The President praised the expert group for reflecting the deep-rooted friendship between Pakistan and China.
“He said, currently, the pandemic situation in various countries including Pakistan was still developing. In the face of this sudden global public health incident, countries should work together to fight against the coronavirus.
China had always upheld the concept of a community of shared future for mankind and actively participated in international cooperation.
We are willing to continue to provide support as far as we can according to Pakistan’s needs, and work with Pakistan to overcome COVID-19,” he added.
The Chinese side was also willing to make greater efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus worldwide and maintain global public health security.