Pakistan, China deepen digital economy ties

May 15, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan and China have further strengthened their bilateral economic ties as a high-level Chinese business delegation held a meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister's House, reaffirming the two nations' commitment to deepening digital economy cooperation and industrial collaboration.

The 11-member delegation was led by Mr. Qian Xiaojun, Founder, President and Controlling Shareholder of IBI Beijing United Technology, who called on the Prime Minister to discuss avenues for expanding digital economy cooperation between the two countries, according to a press release issued.

Welcoming the delegation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the historic and enduring nature of Pakistan-China relations, describing the two countries as All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners.

He lauded the remarkable progress achieved by China under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and expressed his anticipation for an upcoming visit to China later this month.

The Prime Minister welcomed IBI Group's decision to establish its Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters in the country, expressing satisfaction over the expanding business-to-business cooperation between the two nations.

He noted that IBI's role in promoting digital economy cooperation, investment facilitation and industrial collaboration was particularly encouraging.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Qian Xiaojun expressed confidence in Pakistan's economic potential, stating that IBI aims to help build a digital backbone for Pakistan's economic transformation.

He added that the Digital Economy Headquarters would serve as a command centre for this transformation and create significant opportunities for Pakistan's small and medium-sized enterprises by providing them direct access to the vast Chinese market.

The delegation's visit came as a follow-up to the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference held in Beijing in September 2025, which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had attended during his official visit.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Investment Mr. Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Federal Minister for Commerce Mr. Jam Kamal Khan, Federal Minister for IT & Telecom Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for Petroleum Mr. Ali Pervez Malik, SAPM for Industries & Production Mr. Haroon Akhtar, SAPM Mr. Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials.

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