Pakistani president visits China amid COVID-19 pandemic

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan’s president on Monday departed for a two-day official visit to China on Monday amid coronavirus pandemic, an official statement said.

According to the presidency, Arif Alvi’s visit came at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Meanwhile, a statement by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday said Alvi will be accompanied by a delegation including the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and senior officials.

It said the aim of the visit is to convey Pakistan’s “strong support” to China’s “efforts to contain and deal with the spread of Covid-19."

A number of memorandums of understanding between two countries are expected to be signed, the ministry added.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the coronavirus has spread to at least 146 countries and territories.

The global death toll from the virus now numbers around 6,500, including 3,218 in China alone, with some 165,000 cases confirmed worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.