China to send 0.5m doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan 'in good faith': Qureshi
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi speaks to the media here in Islamabad, Pakistan, January 21, 2021. Geo News/via The News
FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi praises NCOC for doing a "great job during the pandemic", lauds COVID-19 patients for courage
Qureshi says "Pakistan held fruitful talks with China with reference to obtaining the coronavirus vaccine"
Adds that China promised to send Pakistan 500,000 doses "in good faith"
ISLAMABAD: secretary of state Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Thursday China would send the primary shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan by January 31, 2021, in what he termed was "good faith".
Speaking to reporters here within the federal capital, Qureshi said: "Pakistan held fruitful talks with China with reference to obtaining the coronavirus vaccine.
"I had a lengthy discussion and spoke of Pakistan's requirements. Then, Prime Minister Imran Khan advised me to interact in further interaction with them [China] keeping in mind the sensitive situation, time, and Pakistan's requirements.
"I'm glad to inform you that I had a telephonic conversation with Chinese secretary of state . I wish to offer this happy news to the state that China has promised that, God-willing, it'll send Pakistan 500,000 doses of the [coronavirus] vaccine by January 31," he said, adding that it had been an act of "good faith" which Beijing planned to send more by February 2021.
Pakistan needs 'additional 1.1m doses'
The secretary of state praised the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) for doing a "great job during the pandemic" and lauded the COVID-19 patients for his or her courage within the fight against the deadly virus.
"Pakistan successfully fought the coronavirus [pandemic]," he added.
China, Qureshi added, directed Pakistan to "send them our plane and airlift the vaccine; this is often excellent news , a positive development". He expressed gratitude to Beijing, he said, and "informed them that our requirements are quite that [500,000 doses]; we'd like a further 1.1 million doses".
China said the primary country it thought to help was Pakistan considering that the COVID-19 vaccines were designated as "global public good", that it had vowed cooperation with entire world, which Beijing-Islamabad had an "all-weather strategic relationship", he underscored.
The CanSino Biologics trials
Qureshi said he and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, spoke of the continued CanSino Biologics trials, which "are progressing here with quite encouraging results".
"We also exchanged thoughts on collaboratively manufacturing and producing vaccine in Pakistan once the CanSinoBIO trials are successful and that they indicated their willingness towards it.
"I'm also happy to spotlight that this batch [of coronavirus vaccine] is a component of China's 'grant assistance' and that they aren't charging us for it."
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