In accordance with the spirit of time-tested friendship with Pakistan, China immediately responded to Pakistan’s call for evacuating its citizens from Yemen, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying at a weekly press briefing at the foreign office on Sunday.
“The special rescue effort by the Chinese government for evacuating foreign citizens embody the government’s people-first principle and the spirit of maintaining its close cooperation with friendly countries like Pakistan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan welcomed the Chinese help that ensured the safe evacuation of the nationals who had faced with problems to leave Yemen by air.
“As all-weather friends, Pakistan and Chinese cooperation in ensuring safe evacuation of our citizens has also been exemplary,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told Chinese news agency Xinhua.
“To ensure earliest possible evacuation, we enlisted Chinese support, since their ships were already in the region evacuating their nationals from Aden to Djibouti,” she said.
Senior Pakistani lawmakers also hailed the Chinese cooperation at a time when the stranded Pakistanis had no option to leave Yemen by air and road.
Senate Standing Committee on Defence Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said that China’s timely rescue of stranded Pakistanis from Yemen proves the old adage that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
“This is, of course, not the first time that China has come to Pakistan’s rescue in difficult moments, hence, Pakistanis term China as our ‘all-weather friend’ and ‘iron brother,” Mushahid said.
“This new role of China is a matter of pride for Pakistan and its people since China’s peaceful, positive projection of naval capabilities in the Indian Ocean for providing humanitarian assistance in an emergency augurs well for stability, peace and security in Asia. It is also a fine example of Asians helping fellow Asians, demonstrating Asian solidarity to serve humanity,” said Mushahid.
