China establishes JWG with Pakistan on follow up cooperation in emergency disaster relief: Wang Wenbin

Beijing: China will continue to offer assistance to Pakistan and the China’s International Department Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) has established a Joint Working Group (JWP) with Pakistani side on implementing follow up cooperation with regard to emergency disaster relief, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Wang Wenbin said on Thursday.

“Going forward, we will continue to offer assistance and China’s International Department Cooperation Agency has established a joint working group with the Pakistani side on implementing follow up cooperation with regard to emergency disaster relief,” he said during his regular briefing while updating on China’s assistance to Pakistan in the flood rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

He informed that the Chinese localities were also working actively to offer sympathy and support to Pakistan. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

“We believe that Pakistani people will overcome the floods and our brotherly friendship will be further elevated,” he added.

The spokesperson said that since, Pakistan was hit by the floods, China had been following and closely looking at the situation on the ground and acted promptly to offer assistance.

“The foreign ministry spokesperson already released information on August 29,” he added.

On same day, President Xi Jinping sent a message to President Dr. Arif Alvi extending sympathy for the severe floods, and said that as all-weather strategic cooperative partners and ironclad friends, China-Pakistan had long stood together with mutual assistance.

“China will continue to offer much needed assistance to Pakistan and support its disaster relief efforts,” he added.

Premier Li Keqiang also sent a message of sympathy to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Wang Wenbin informed that the Chinese government had been actively working to implement the pledged assistance while the pledged emergency cash assistance had been delivered.

“The first batch of tents has been delivered by China Air Force Y-20 to Pakistan on August the 30th and the 31st and the rest will arrive soon,” he added.

He pointed out in particular that the first batch of tents came from Sichuan in China and the pilot who transported the relief goods to Pakistan was also from Sichuan and was in Wenchen when the earthquake struck.

The pilot talked about the Pakistani brothers and the assistance to China back in 2008.

After arriving in Pakistan, he spoke on behalf of all the Chinese people which was also a vivid illustration of the China Pakistan Community with Shared Future.

The spokesperson expressed the confidence that Pakistani people would overcome the floods and brotherly friendship between China and Pakistan would be further elevated.