BEIJING - President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a message of sympathy to Pakistani President Arif Alvi over the latter's infection with COVID-19, wishing him an early recovery.

In the message, Xi stressed that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, and that the Chinese government and people will always stand firmly with their Pakistani counterparts to beat the pandemic shoulder to shoulder.

The Chinese president said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Pakistan relations, and is ready to work with President Alvi to push forward the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future for the benefit of both countries and their people.