Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warmly received a senior Chinese business delegation on Friday, emphasizing the intent to enhance cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing in areas such as the digital economy, investment facilitation, and industrial development. The delegation was headed by Qian Xiaojun, founder, president, and controlling shareholder of IBI Beijing United Technology.
During the meeting at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad, Sharif highlighted the longstanding historic ties between Pakistan and China, describing the two nations as all-weather strategic partners. He also expressed anticipation for his forthcoming visit to China later this month.
The prime minister commended China’s remarkable economic advancements under President Xi Jinping’s leadership and noted the promising expansion of business-to-business collaborations between the two countries. He particularly welcomed IBI Group’s decision to establish its Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters within the country, viewing it as a significant step toward strengthening digital economy cooperation and industrial linkages.
Sharif remarked that this initiative would facilitate investment and enhance technological collaboration between Pakistan and China. Meanwhile, the Chinese delegation conveyed strong confidence in Pakistan’s economic potential and outlined their goal to contribute to building a robust digital infrastructure to support Pakistan’s economic transformation.
In a significant development, the proposed digital economy headquarters is intended to act as a command center for digital transformation efforts and create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises by linking them with Chinese markets.
This visit follows the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference held in Beijing in September 2025 during Sharif’s previous visit. The meeting was attended by several federal ministers and senior officials, including Minister for Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, and Special Assistant on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, among others.
