Chinese president phones PM, offers sending expert team to fight COVID-19

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and proposed sending an expert team to help Bangladesh combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The Chinese president phoned the prime minister around 5 pm today and wanted to know from her about the coronavirus situation in Bangladesh,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.

“We’re ready to send an expert team to Bangladesh to prevent coronavirus if you want,” Jinping told the prime minister.

During the 25-minute conversation, the Chinese president assured Sheikh Hasina that his country would continue supports for Bangladesh’s economic development.

“We’ll always stay beside Bangladesh for its economic uplift and also extend support to the country in the international forum,” he said.

Jinping also said China will continue to work for further strengthening ‘strategic partnership’ with Bangladesh.

The press secretary said the prime minister thanked the Chinese president for expressing sympathy to Bangladesh over the coronavirus situation.

Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to the international community to work together to combat COVID-19 pandemic, Karim said.

The two leaders expressed gratitude to each other for sending medical equipment and other goods to their respective countries during the pandemic.

The press secretary said the Chinese president recalled the visit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to China.

“His (Bangabandhu) visit laid the foundation of bilateral relations between the two countries,” Jinping said and hoped that the ties will be strengthened further in the days to come.