- $7b MoUs and $1.54b worth accords for joint ventures inked across key sectors in Beijing
- Business leaders highlight Pakistan’s textile, mineral and IT potential with Yuan-based trade and SIFC reforms signal deeper, long-term cooperation
BEIJING: The Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference in Beijing concluded with agreements worth $8.5 billion, marking a significant step toward reshaping bilateral economic cooperation, according to a report by China Economic Net (CEN).
The second edition of the conference, held on September 4 at China World Hotel, saw Pakistani and Chinese executives exchange greetings and explore opportunities across multiple sectors. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the developments a “long march of economic growth” and pledged to personally facilitate investors, assuring them that delays would not be tolerated.
Agreements included $7 billion in MoUs and $1.54 billion in joint ventures, spanning agriculture, textiles, electric vehicles, solar energy, health, chemicals, minerals, and steel. Business leaders highlighted Pakistan’s potential in textiles, minerals, and IT, while also pointing out challenges such as lack of advanced machinery, skilled manpower, regulatory processes, logistics, and language barriers.
Executives including Osama Abid (Al-Hammd International), Engr. Asad Ahmed (PMDC), and Kashif Mehtab Chawla (Al-Karam Textiles) emphasized Pakistan’s workforce, raw materials, and GSP+ access to EU markets as key strengths for joint ventures. Companies like Askari Shoes confirmed transactions in Chinese yuan, reflecting closer financial ties.
Chinese participants, including Ren Hongbin (CCPIT) and Xu Guimin (Zhongjing Kehui), stressed that applying China’s industrial expertise in Pakistan could unlock “win-win” outcomes, provided business processes and facilitation continue to improve.
To address investor concerns, Pakistan has established the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to expedite approvals for major projects. Officials assured Chinese firms of security, streamlined procedures, and direct support for investment.
As the conference closed, participants agreed the deals signaled more than transactions—they marked the beginning of a long-term shift toward making Pakistan a regional manufacturing hub through Chinese partnership and technology transfer.
