China and Laos partnering in fight against coronavirus

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): The Chinese Embassy to Laos and the Lao government have stepped up cooperative efforts and communication to assist each other in controlling the coronavirus outbreak.

While no confirmed cases have been found in Laos, the Chinese Embassy is cooperating directly with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with officials exchanging information daily and monitoring the situation in Laos.

Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong detailed the ongoing cooperation at a press conference held at the embassy on Monday.

“If we can diagnose the coronavirus, then we can control it, and we would like to follow this work in Laos, ” he said.

China was rushing to stop the virus spreading to save not only the lives of Chinese people but also many other people around the world, he added.

Jiang said the Chinese people, government and Party were very strong and would be able to contain the spread of the virus while welcoming Lao efforts to assist during this difficult time.

The local Chinese community, including the Lao-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, has been rallying support and has sent medical supplies and equipment to China.

The ambassador emphasised the friendly bilateral relations and asked Chinese people living in Laos not to return to China, adding that the embassy would look after their interests here.

Jiang said local Chinese would return to work on Feb 15 following the Chinese New Year celebrations and requested that they respect the laws of Laos, while urging Lao people to be ready to take care of Chinese nationals if need be.

Chinese tourists currently visiting Luang Prabang can go for health checks at the provincial hospital if they wish.

China is presently deploying enormous resources and cooperating closely with the World Health Organization to control the virus.

Some 99 Lao students are currently in Wuhan, Hubei province, with 49 having returned to Laos during the winter break.

The Lao government has implemented numerous measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus such as establishing a task force committee, putting in place screening and quarantine measures at all border crossings, and raising public awareness of the situation through the media. - Vientiane Times/Asia News Network