China to provide more COVID-19 vaccine doses by March 31

ISLAMABAD: China has announced to provide more coronavirus vaccine doses to Pakistan by March 31 as a gift to help the nation in the fight against the pandemic.

This was announced by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a telephonic conversation with his Pakistani Counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Qureshil thanked the Chinese leadership for sending the vaccine as a gift and said that the Chinese role in helping the international community including Pakistan on controlling the pandemic is exemplary.

He also thanked the Chinese Foreign Minister for his good wishes for the speedy recovery of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He briefed his counterpart regarding measures taken by the government including smart lockdown policy as per the vision of Prime Minister to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19.

The two foreign ministers exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including the Corona epidemic situation. They also discussed bilateral relations and the promotion of multidimensional cooperation in various fields between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will receive the fourth batch of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine this month. The shipment containing 60,000 doses of the vaccine by CanSino Biologics will arrive in Islamabad on March 26 while the fifth batch of the vaccine will reach the country on March 31.

The government has asked China for shipment of one million doses. Pakistan has received three shipments of SinoPharm vaccine. Pakistan is currently vaccinating frontline healthcare workers and citizens over the age of 60 free of cost using Sinopharm doses donated by China.