Pakistan felicitates China on becoming Malaria-free, terms it great achievement

Islamabad: Pakistan has felicitated the ‘all-weather strategic cooperative partner’ China on becoming Malaria-free country.

“Congratulations to Govt (government) & people of China on ridding the country of Malaria as certified by WHO (World Health Organization),” Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafiz Chaudhri tweeted.

He added: “From 30m (30 million) cases annually in 1940 to eradicating mosquito-borne disease is indeed a great achievement. Good to see our all-weather strategic cooperative partner achieve this milestone.”

This message came a day after the WHO officially declared China a Malaria-free country. After a 70-year effort, China was awarded the Malaria-free certification by the WHO – a notable feat for a country that reported 30 million cases of the disease annually in the 1940s.

“Today we congratulate the people of China on ridding the country of malaria,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“Their success was hard-earned and came only after decades of targeted and sustained action. With this announcement, China joins the growing number of countries that are showing the world that a malaria-free future is a viable goal,” Dr Ghebreyesus added.

Earlier in the day, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri told journalists at a weekly media briefing that Prime Minister Imran Khan had sent a message of felicitation to President Xi Jinping of China on the occasion of Centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In his message, the Prime Minister highlighted that the founding of the CPC was a seminal event with far-reaching impact on the world history, the spokesperson said.

“The Prime Minister lauded CPC’s efforts for the well-being of the Chinese people, particularly in the area of poverty alleviation and economic development. He also appreciated CPC’s role in nurturing Pakistan-China friendship and transforming it into an “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” the spokesperson said.

Chaudhri said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has taken Pakistan-China relationship to new heights. “It has contributed significantly to the development of port, roads and energy infrastructure in Pakistan. CPEC has now entered into second phase with focus on industrial cooperation, trade, agriculture and socio-economic development,” he said.

He said Pakistan believed that “our relationship with China is not an impediment to our relations with other countries. We want close cooperative relation with all others. Our Foreign Policy is one of friendliness and goodwill towards all the nations of the world.”