By Our Defence
Correspondent
Islamabad: On February 7, a batch of Covid-19 vaccine assisted by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to the Pakistani army arrived in Islamabad.
On the morning of August 8, representatives of the two sides held a vaccine handover ceremony at Noor Khan Air Base, attended by Major General Chen Wenrong, Defense Attache of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, and Lieutenant General NigarJohar, Lieutenant General of the Pakistani Army and Director of the Tri-Services Health Service.
ChenWhenrong said that a week ago, the Chinese government donated a batch of Covid-19 vaccine to the Pakistani government, making Pakistan the first country to receive Chinese vaccine aid. Now, the vaccine provided by the Chinese military to the Pakistani military has been successfully delivered, and the Pakistani military has become the first foreign military to receive the Chinese military’s vaccine assistance. The two “firsts” once again demonstrate the unbreakable “iron” friendship between China and Pakistan. President Xi Jinping stressed that China’s COVID-19 vaccine, once developed and put into use, will serve as a global public good and make China’s contribution to the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries. This batch of vaccine is another concrete measure to implement President Xi’s important announcement and will play an important role in the cooperation between the two countries and the two militaries in fighting the epidemic. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan. Military-to-military relations are an important pillar of bilateral relations. The Chinese military will continue to strengthen practical cooperation with the Pakistani military in various fields, work together to push bilateral and military-to-military relations to a higher level and contribute to building an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
On behalf of the Pakistani army, Lt Gen NigaJohar thanked the Chinese military for providing vaccine assistance to the Pakistani army. She said China’s listing of the Pakistani government and army as the first recipients of vaccine assistance once again proves that China-Pakistan friendship is “higher than mountains, deeper than sea and sweeter than honey”, which Pakistan has taken to heart. Qiao said that after the outbreak in Pakistan last year, the anti-epidemic materials provided by the Chinese military and the medical experts sent by the Chinese military have played a key role in effectively containing the epidemic.
Today, the Chinese military provided urgently needed vaccines to the Pakistani military at the first time, which is just like a “timely rain” for the Pakistani side, for which the Pakistani side is deeply grateful.
