BEIJING           -           China on Friday reiterated a continued support to Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19 pandemic and said the newly inaugurated Isolation Hospital and Infections Treatment Centre (IHITC) would enhance the country’s capability to combat the coronavirus and other infectious diseases. “China will not forget the valuable support Pakistan offered at our most difficult time. We will continue to support Pakistan’s fight to the best of our capability,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during his regular briefing in a response to a question regarding completion and inauguration of IHITC in Islamabad. The 250-bed hospital, having five different wards and maximum facilities to diagnose and treat infectious disease was built in 40 days in the capital city with cooperation of China.

Zhao said that helping Pakistan to build an isolation hospital for COVID-19 patients is an important consensus reached between the two leaders during President Dr. Arif Alvi’s visit to China in March this year.

“With the joint efforts of the two countries, the hospital was recently completed and inaugurated on July 9,” he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the hospital while senior Pakistani and Chinese dignitaries including China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing attended the event.

The spokesperson expressed the confidence that this hospital would enhance Pakistan’s capability to fight COVID-19 pandemic and ease pressure on hospitals in the capital Islamabad.

“This hospital will play a positive role in Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19,” he added.

He noted that China and Pakistan were now all weather strategic cooperative partners and iron clad friends sharing wheal and woe.

He said that China will work together with Pakistan to safeguard two countries and global public health security and to forge a closer community with shared future for two countries.

It is worth mentioning here that at the end of the answer to the question asked by APP during the today’s briefing, Zhao, who has served as deputy head of mission in the Chinese Embassy, Islamabad and demonstrated his love and affection for Pakistan on several occasions as a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in Urdu, “Pak-China dosti zindabad’ (Long live China-Pakistan friendship).