Islamabad, July 17, 2026: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed that ensuring the security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan remains the government’s highest priority, while witnessing the signing of nine agreements worth approximately $440 million between Pakistani and Chinese private companies in the pharmaceutical sector.
Addressing the Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical Business-to-Business Conference in Islamabad, the prime minister described the agreements as a significant milestone in strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and advancing the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0).
Shehbaz Sharif said China had consistently stood by Pakistan during challenging times and noted that Beijing had already invested more than $30 billion under the first phase of CPEC.
He expressed confidence that the newly signed agreements would translate into practical investment projects, helping expand pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccine production, research and development, and positioning Pakistan as a regional hub for the production and export of life-saving medicines.
“I believe these agreements will lead to the manufacturing of life-saving medicines and vaccines, promote research and development, and help Pakistan emerge as a centre of excellence for exporting quality pharmaceutical products to neighbouring countries,” the prime minister said.
Reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to Chinese investors, the prime minister assured them that the government would continue to provide comprehensive security to Chinese nationals working on development projects across Pakistan.
He congratulated Pakistani and Chinese entrepreneurs on the successful agreements and appreciated the efforts of Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, government institutions and business leaders for making the conference successful.
The prime minister also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote regional peace, saying Islamabad had played an important mediating role during the recent regional crisis with the support of friendly countries, particularly China.
He acknowledged the contributions of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and other Chinese leaders in supporting regional stability. He also praised the diplomatic efforts of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing of nine agreements valued at approximately $440 million between Pakistani and Chinese companies aimed at enhancing cooperation in Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry, marking one of the largest private-sector investment initiatives under the evolving framework of CPEC 2.0.
