China has hosted a high-level virtual meeting with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka to create a “political consensus” to contain the Covid-19 pandemic and boost economic development.
The “five-party” meeting, named for the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a statement late Thursday night, was an extension of a similar meeting held in July involving Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan. , and organized by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi.
This week’s meeting was called by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui, a former Chinese ambassador to India.
“To jointly defeat Covid-19, protect people’s lives, 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 the response to Covid-19 on November 10, ”China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
“The five parties held deep exchanges to consolidate the political consensus on the joint fight against Covid-19, enhance cooperation to contain the coronavirus and restore economic development and the movement of people, and achieved positive results,” the statement added.
The Chinese statement emphasized the importance of promoting projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), President Xi Jinping’s multi-million dollar intercontinental infrastructure project.
India has rejected Chinese proposals to join the BRI, citing sovereignty issues; India remains the only South Asian country not to join the initiative.
“Infrastructure connectivity under the BRI will advance at a faster pace. The smooth transportation of goods in the border ports will be facilitated with sufficient containment measures in place, ”the Chinese statement added.
Beijing is ready to intensify cooperation with the other four parties in testing, diagnosis, treatment and medicine, and continue to assist them with containment supplies, according to the statement.
“In a spirit of mutual trust, openness and mutually beneficial cooperation, the five parties welcome other countries in the region to join the cooperation against Covid-19 and are ready to enter into dialogue and communication with them,” he added the notice.
.
