Chinese experts talk with local locust control staff in Tharparkar desert of Sindh province, Pakistan, Feb. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)
SHARED FUTURE
"No matter how the international situation changes, China will always stand firmly with Pakistan, and is committed to deepening the ironclad China-Pakistan friendship, so as to make China-Pakistan relations a model for building a community with a shared future for humanity, and better benefit the two peoples," Xi said.
During their talks, the Chinese president also called on the two sides to build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into a model of high-quality development within the Belt and Road cooperation.
In the past five years, the CPEC has completed its first phase of upgrading Pakistan's infrastructure, freeing the country from blackouts and connecting its north and south with modern highways.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing told Xinhua on Friday that amid the ongoing global pandemic, it is very necessary to enhance bilateral cooperation in the health sector within the framework of the CPEC, adding that China has planned to donate 300,000 face masks, 10,000 protective suits and 4 million U.S. dollars to Pakistan to fight the disease.
It is a chance for the two countries' healthcare authorities to work together more closely, Shimail Daud Arain, head of Maryam Memorial Hospital of Pakistan, told Xinhua, adding that "China has already helped by providing testing tools, but I think it's time for technical experts to share their experiences."
Friendship is deeply rooted in the exchanges between China and Pakistan, especially when the two countries are in difficulties, Yao said, adding that with the Pakistani president's visit to China and after going through the epidemic, bilateral relations will move towards a closer community with a shared future.
