China to continue supporting Pakistan in fight against coronavirus, locust

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, has assured that his country will continue supporting Pakistan in the fight against coronavirus and locust.

He expressed these views during his meeting with the Federal Minister for Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, in Islamabad. The Federal Secretary, Omar Hamid Khan, was also present on the occasion according to the details shared by the Chinese embassy on May 8. 

The two sides exchanged in-depth views in promoting agricultural co-operation under the auspices of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

Ambassador Yao congratulated Minister Imam for assuming the new responsibility, reminding him that China and Pakistan have been all-weather friends for a long time. 

Presently, as the Pakistani government and people were making efforts to fight the epidemic, they were being supported by the Chinese government and all sectors of the society. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China has donated a batch of anti-epidemic materials to the Ministry of Food Security and Research of Pakistan in order to express the confidence of the Chinese and Pakistani agricultural departments to cooperate and fight the epidemic together. 

“When the severe locust disaster broke out in Pakistan early this year, the Chinese side also dispatched a locust control team in time and provided locust control equipment,” Ambassador Yao recalled adding China will work closely with the Ministry of Food Security and Research to actively promote new development in agricultural cooperation under the CPEC. 

The Minister thanked China for its strong support in locust eradication and anti-epidemic activities and stated that the China Locust Eradication Working Group has chalked out a comprehensive locust disaster management plan for Pakistan. 

“Agriculture is a key area in the next phase of the CPEC. Pakistan welcomes Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan” Fakhar Imam remarked. 

He hoped that the two sides will carry out further cooperation in transfer of agricultural technology and transformation, agricultural product processing and trade, capacity building and exchange of research institutions.

Both parties also attended the handover ceremony of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs’ assistance to Pakistan’s Food Security and Research Department in the prevention of epidemic diseases.