China to donate more doses of Covid-19 vaccine: Qureshi

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday announced that his country would donate more doses of COVID vaccine to Pakistan by March 31, to help the country fight the coronavirus.

The Chinese foreign minister, in a telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said that over a hundred countries had approached China to get COVID vaccine but the country would prioritize the fulfillment of Pakistan’s needs, considering the ideal bilateral ties, according to state-run APP.

The telephonic conversation encompassed the pandemic situation as well as the bilateral and other matters of mutual interests, a foreign ministry press release said.

Qureshi told Wang Yi that the government had formulated a comprehensive strategy to vaccinate the citizens against COVID-19 for which the country would require further doses of the vaccine. In response, the Chinese foreign minister assured to provide more vaccine doses by end of the current month.

The foreign minister thanked the Chinese counterpart for the goodwill gesture.

He said the Chinese assistance to the world particularly Pakistan during the challenging situation of COVID pandemic was exemplary.

The foreign minister told his Chinese counterpart that Pakistan’s government was taking all precautionary measures including the smart lockdown as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Qureshi thanked the Chinese leadership for expressing good wishes, through a letter, for Prime Minister Imran Khan who had tested positive on Saturday.

Both the leaders had a detailed discussion on bilateral ties and multiple cooperation besides agreeing to keeping up the high level contacts between the two countries.