China holds COVID-19 vice-ministerial meeting with Pakistan, Bangla, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Beijing, November 12

China has hosted a vice-ministerial-level assembly with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka on controlling the COVID-19, increasing its first such assembly held in July involving Islamabad, Kathmandu and Kabul.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui hosted the digital assembly.

“To jointly defeat COVID-19, protect people’s life, safety and health, and accelerate economic and social recovery and development, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka convened a vice-ministerial-level video conference on COVID-19 response on November 10,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.

The 5 international locations had “in-depth exchanges on cementing the political consensus on jointly fighting COVID-19, enhancing cooperation on containing the coronavirus and restoring economic development and movement of people and achieved positive results,” the assertion mentioned.

This is the second ministerial assembly held by China involving the South Asian area on COVID-19. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held an analogous assembly along with his counterparts of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal in July.

China has pledged that COVID-19 vaccine improvement and deployment in China, when out there, will likely be made a worldwide public good, the assertion mentioned.

China can also be prepared to contemplate offering vaccines to creating international locations positively, the opposite 4 international locations included, it mentioned.

In the context of long-term COVID-19 containment, the 5 international locations will uphold multilateralism, firmly assist the World Health Organisation in enjoying a number one function within the international battle in opposition to COVID-19.

They reiterated their opposition to “politicisation and stigmatisation” through the use of COVID-19, and in addition agreed that the autumn and winter seasons are a vital interval for its containment and vowed to strengthen data sharing and coordination of insurance policies and actions to deal with the affect of its second wave.

The Chinese facet is able to step up cooperation with the opposite 4 events in testing, diagnostics, remedy and medication, and proceed to offer them with help of containment provides, the assertion mentioned.

They agreed that international locations linked by land ports ought to set up joint response mechanisms in border areas.

Standard working procedures will likely be developed on COVID-19-related notification, border management, containment measures at factors of entry and emergency response to stop cross-border transmission.

They additionally agreed on the significance of coordinating COVID-19 response and financial and social improvement, and can advance the Belt and Road cooperation to spice up post-COVID-19 financial restoration and improvement, it mentioned.

“In a spirit of mutual trust, openness and win-win cooperation, the Five Parties welcome other regional countries to join the cooperation against COVID-19 and are ready to engage in dialogue and communication with them,” the assertion added.

According to Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, the coronavirus has thus far contaminated greater than 52 million individuals and killed over 1.2 million others globally after it emerged within the central Chinese metropolis of Wuhan final 12 months. PTI