PM Imran telephones Chinese president to express solidarity over coronavirus outbreak

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday telephoned Chinese President Xi Jinping to express solidarity with the Chinese leadership and people in the wake of novel coronavirus outbreak, ARY News reported.

According to details, during the telephonic conversion, PM Imran Khan conveyed his heartfelt condolences over the precious lives lost due to the outbreak of the virus.

He praised the relentless efforts undertaken by China for containing and controlling coronavirus and underscored that the people and the Government of Pakistan stand firmly behind China in its decisive efforts to fight and eliminate the virus.

The Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated Pakistan’s offer to send a field hospital along with a team of doctors to China to help Chinese people fight the virus.

While underscoring Pakistan’s full trust in the measures being taken by the Chinese authorities, the Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed complete confidence that the Chinese nation under the inspiring leadership of President Xi will emerge stronger and victorious in the aftermath of Coronavirus.

He also appreciated China’s strong resolve and special measures to look after our nationals during this difficult time.

President Xi expressed profound gratitude for Pakistan’s support to China at a critical time and underscored that China is taking effective, swift and timely measures to battle Coronavirus. He emphasized that China will win people’s war against coronavirus.

President Xi reaffirmed that China is treating Pakistani students “as our own” and will spare no effort in ensuring their safety, health and well-being.

On bilateral relations, President Xi underscored China’s commitment to taking the Pakistan-China economic partnership to a new level and stressed that CPEC will continue to be its strongest centre-piece.

Both leaders shared their resolve to continue to have communication and exchanges at the highest level to strengthen Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and to build closer China-Pakistan Community of shared future in the new era.

Meanwhile, China on Thursday touted a big drop in new virus cases as proof its epidemic control efforts are working, but the toll grew abroad with deaths in Japan and South Korea.

The death tally in China hit 2,118 as 114 more people died, but health officials reported the lowest number of new cases there in nearly a month, including in hardest-hit Hubei province.

More than 74,000 people have been infected by the new coronavirus in China and hundreds more in over 25 countries. The number of deaths outside mainland China climbed to 11.