Shehbaz Sharif highlights Pakistan-China digital economy cooperation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday praised the longstanding and “historic” relationship between Pakistan and China during a meeting with a visiting Chinese business delegation in Islamabad, reaffirming the growing strategic and economic partnership between the two countries.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, a high-level 11-member delegation led by Qian Xiaojun, founder and president of IBI Beijing United Technology, held discussions with the prime minister focused on expanding cooperation in the digital economy, industrial development and investment facilitation.

The prime minister said that Pakistan and China share an “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership” and stressed that bilateral relations continue to strengthen across political, economic and technological domains. He also appreciated China’s development progress under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and said he looked forward to his upcoming visit to China later this month.

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During the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif welcomed increased business-to-business engagement between the two countries, highlighting the importance of private sector collaboration in driving economic growth. He said initiatives focused on digital transformation could play a key role in improving Pakistan’s economic competitiveness.

The Chinese delegation expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economic potential and outlined plans to support the development of a digital economy ecosystem in the country. Qian Xiaojun said that IBI plans to establish its digital economy headquarters in Pakistan, which would serve as a coordination hub for technology-driven projects and investment facilitation.

He added that the initiative would create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises by connecting them with broader Chinese markets and enhancing cross-border trade integration.

Officials noted that the visit builds on momentum from the Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference held in Beijing during the prime minister’s earlier visit, reflecting continued efforts to deepen economic cooperation between the two countries.