Pakistan, China vow cooperation in developing Covid-19 vaccine

BEIJING: Pakistan and China Friday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation to develop anti-COIVD-19 vaccine and called for global joint preventive and control measures while opposing politicizing the pandemic and labeling the viruses.

During the second round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Hainan province of China, the two countries emphasized that unity and cooperation were the most powerful weapon for the international community against the disease.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi led Pakistani side in the dialogue while Chinese side was led by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a joint press release issued by Foreign Office here after the conclusion of the dialogue.

“Both sides opposed politicizing the pandemic, labeling viruses; supported WHO to play a leading role in global public health governance, and called for the international community to increase the sense of a community of shared future and carry out effective joint prevention and control measures in order to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19,” it said.

The two sides exchanged views on COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral relations, and international and regional issues of mutual interest, and reached consensus to collectively take measures to safeguard their common interests and promote peace, prosperity, and development in the region.

The two countries agreed that Pakistan and China had stood in solidarity and worked together since the COVID-19 outbreak by timely sharing of experiences relating to the prevention and control of the virus, mutual support in providing medical materials, and have set an example for international community to jointly fight the pandemic.

They agreed to strive for promoting establishment of China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future and Community of Common Health.

Both sides reiterated that the enduring China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership was beneficial to international and regional peace and stability, and served the mutual security and development interests of both countries as well as of international community and regional countries.

Pakistan and China were committed to firmly implementing the consensus reached between the two leaders, enhancing mutual strategic trust, strengthening all-round cooperation and maintaining momentum of high-level exchanges.