Gujranwala, August 27, 2026: The BRI Excellence Centre (BEC) was inaugurated at GIFT University in Gujranwala on Thursday, bringing together academia, industry and diplomacy to strengthen local-level cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The centre has been established through a collaboration between Diplomatic Insight Group (DIG), GIFT University and the Gujranwala Business Alliance (GBA).
Chinese Consul General in Lahore Sun Yan attended the inauguration as chief guest. He was accompanied by DIG Chairperson Dr Farhat Asif, GIFT University Chairman Muhammad Anwar Dar and GBA Founder and Chairman Ahmad Ikram Lone.
The inauguration comes as Pakistan and China mark the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations and follows the agreement reached in January 2026 to launch an upgraded CPEC 2.0, with a focus on industry, agriculture and mining — sectors that form a major part of Gujranwala’s economic base.
Speaking at the ceremony, Consul General Sun Yan described the BRI Excellence Centre as a timely initiative that would contribute to closer academic and industrial exchanges between Pakistan and China.
He said the centre would provide a platform for greater interaction between institutions, businesses and students from the two countries.
Dr Farhat Asif said the centre was designed to translate BRI cooperation from a national vision into local-level implementation by creating practical linkages between Pakistani businesses, students, entrepreneurs and Chinese institutions.
“We want this Centre to become a platform where Pakistani businesses can explore Chinese markets, where students can learn Mandarin and understand contemporary China, where startups can connect with technology and investment, and where Chinese institutions can find credible partners in Pakistan’s industrial heartland,” she said.
The BEC will operate across six interconnected domains: a BRI Trade and Investment Centre, a Chinese Language and Cultural Centre, an AI and Digital Innovation Centre, an EV and Green Technology Centre, a BRI Research and Policy Institute, and an Entrepreneurship and Startup Centre.
GIFT University Chairman Muhammad Anwar Dar acknowledged DIG’s efforts in helping turn the initiative into reality, saying the university’s vision extended beyond conventional education to equipping students with the knowledge and opportunities needed to establish and develop their own businesses.
The establishment of the centre is considered particularly significant for Gujranwala, one of Pakistan’s major manufacturing and industrial hubs. The city accounts for a substantial share of the country’s manufactured exports, including around 40 per cent of national surgical instrument exports and 30 per cent of cutlery exports.
Despite being located directly along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor route, Gujranwala had previously lacked a structured Chinese institutional presence focused on sustained academic, commercial and technological engagement.
GBA Chairman Ahmad Ikram Lone said the centre marked the beginning of a new phase of cooperation and economic activity between Pakistan and China.
“Today we are not simply inaugurating a Centre, we are opening a new chapter of cooperation and activity, and shared opportunity between Pakistan and China,” he said.
Lone described the BEC as a “first-of-its-kind in the region”, saying its activities would centre on four broad areas — trade, technology, education and culture.
The organisers said the centre would seek to create practical opportunities for Pakistani businesses to access Chinese markets, facilitate technology and investment partnerships, promote Mandarin language and cultural understanding, and support research and policy dialogue on BRI and CPEC-related opportunities.
