Pak-China conference to target $1.2b momentum
Pakistan's Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, said the conference aims to expand trade and investment ties. Organised by the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Board of Investment, ministries, and provincial departments, preparations include answering Chinese investors' queries and showcasing opportunities.
"We are finalising the list of companies and scheduling matchmaking sessions in advance for better outcomes," Hashmi said. Chinese firms will be briefed on incentives such as land acquisition, tax breaks, duty exemptions, wage structures, and energy supply. Pakistani delegates will get sector-specific guides on opportunities in China.
Hashmi called China "the New Land of Opportunities" and urged Pakistan to boost production capacity and exports. Twenty-one priority sectors, including manufacturing, petrochemicals, minerals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, leather, and medical equipment, have been identified for deeper cooperation.
The first conference in Shenzhen last year hosted 105 Pakistani and 250 Chinese companies, resulting in 30 MOUs, 17 now contracts worth over $100 million. Further matchmaking since then produced 45 MOUs worth $600 million, plus deals from expos in Karachi and Lahore, bringing total agreements in the past year to over $1.2 billion.
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