Islamabad, July 21, 2026: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, has said Pakistan-China economic relations are entering a new phase driven by investment and business-to-business (B2B) cooperation, with efforts focused on transforming the two countries’ strong political ties into concrete trade, industrial and investment partnerships.
Addressing an interactive session with the business community at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), the ambassador said the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing has been working over the past two-and-a-half years to complement the government-to-government relationship, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), by promoting Chinese investment and encouraging joint ventures with Pakistani businesses.
Accompanied by former Trade and Investment Counsellor Ghulam Qadir, Hashmi said the embassy had adopted a research-driven strategy identifying 21 priority sectors for investment cooperation with China.
He said six B2B investment conferences and six investment roadshows had been organized in sectors including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, information technology and telecommunications, energy storage, agriculture, food processing, textiles, leather, and surgical and medical equipment.
According to the ambassador, these initiatives have resulted in more than 670 memorandums of understanding (MoUs), around 40 joint ventures and investment commitments exceeding US$22 billion, while nearly 30 percent of the MoUs have progressed into formal agreements or contracts.
Hashmi stressed that the focus was not merely on signing MoUs but on converting them into operational projects, factories, joint ventures and sustainable investments through a structured follow-up mechanism.
Describing China as the “land of opportunity of the 21st century,” he urged Pakistani businesses to prepare commercially viable and bankable projects to attract credible Chinese investors.
He said future cooperation would focus on high-potential sectors, including semiconductors, surgical instruments, sports goods and sportswear, while linking investment with technical and vocational training and demand-driven skills development.
The ambassador also welcomed the establishment of business facilitation desks in Guangzhou and at the ICCI in Islamabad, saying the platforms would help strengthen trade and investment promotion, provide market information and facilitate the resolution of business-related issues. He assured the business community of continued support from Pakistan’s embassy in Beijing and its four consulates in China.
Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood said China remained one of Pakistan’s most trusted strategic and economic partners, adding that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor had laid a strong foundation for connectivity, infrastructure development and industrial cooperation.
He said the next phase of bilateral relations should focus on expanding private-sector collaboration, joint ventures, technology transfer and value-added manufacturing, while highlighting investment opportunities in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, biotechnology, agriculture, information technology, renewable energy, minerals and engineering.
Mehmood said the ICCI was committed to serving as a bridge between the business communities of Pakistan and China through dedicated business facilitation mechanisms in Islamabad and Guangzhou to support market access, partner identification, investment guidance and trade facilitation.
The event also featured an interactive question-and-answer session in which members of the business community discussed investment opportunities, market access, joint ventures, trade facilitation and sector-specific cooperation with Ambassador Hashmi.
