
CMCC delegation visits MoITT
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to advancing digital innovation and technological cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Pakistan's Digital Vision, as a high-level delegation from China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC) visited the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT).
The delegation, led by CMCC Chairman Yang Jie, held a detailed meeting with Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Senior officials from both sides, including representatives from China Mobile headquarters, secretary IT, additional secretary IT, and chairman PTA, were present at the meeting.
Key areas of collaboration discussed included the development of AI-powered, energy-efficient data centers, fast-tracking the rollout of 5G technology, and establishing a Pakistan-China digital connectivity corridor to enhance regional digital integration. Both sides also explored opportunities for content hosting partnerships with leading Chinese digital platforms and initiatives to strengthen Artificial Intelligence education in Pakistan.
Khawaja welcomed CMCC's continued investment and support, stating that such partnerships are crucial for expanding digital access, enhancing capacity, and driving innovation across the country. She reiterated the prime minister's vision of a digitally inclusive and empowered Pakistan.
The initiatives discussed align with Pakistan's broader digital goals—achieving nationwide internet speeds of 100 Mbps, expanding fixed broadband to 10 million households, and raising smartphone penetration to over 85 percent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
Trump-inspired Cantonese opera in Hong Kong aims to bring love and peace
HONG KONG: In a Cantonese opera inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump, a Chinese actor donning a blond wig spars on a Hong Kong stage with a man playing a double of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy - ridiculing his outfit and firing a water gun at him. The sold-out show, 'Trump, The Twins President', was performed in the territory's Xiqu Theatre as Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a one-hour-long call on Thursday. Written by Edward Li, a Feng Shui master-turned-Cantonese opera playwright, the comedy made its Hong Kong debut in 2019. The three-and-a-half hour show has been through several iterations since with the latest version featuring Trump's attempted assassination and his quarrel with Zelenskiy in the White House. Cantonese opera is a centuries-old Chinese art form blending singing, acting, martial arts, and elaborate costumes, and is traditionally performed during special occasions. Li's latest production begins with a dream by Trump's daughter, Ivanka, where her father has a twin brother named Chuan Pu, living in China. When Trump is kidnapped by aliens from Mars, Ivanka asks Chuan to pretend to be Trump for a day. In another act, Trump has a dramatic fight with Zelenskiyy's presidential double over his clothing in the White House, and shoots him with a water gun from Chinese online shopping site Taobao while Zelenskiy pretends to have been shot. The actors perform against a backdrop of photos from the actual events. Li said he chose Trump as the main character because his tariffs and policies had affected everyone's daily life. 'I think this opera is quite a special medicine for the whole world,' Li said. 'If people see this opera they will feel very happy because they think of love and peace.' Cantonese opera actor Lung Koon-tin, who portrayed Trump, said the U.S. president was unique. 'He increased tariffs and made the whole world speak out.' What to watch this June: 'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster' Lung said China and the U.S. should be good friends. 'We are Chinese and he is American, but friendship always lives long. That's why we talk about Sino–U.S. friendship in the play.' The audience erupted in laughter throughout the performance, breaking into enthusiastic applause at the end. Many of them were younger people, including 28-year-old Thomas Lo. He said that modern youth often felt disconnected from traditional Cantonese opera but the Trump-themed show, infused with contemporary events, offered a refreshing twist. 'It's fun and really something special,' Lo said.


Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
China's exports likely slowed in May amid trade uncertainties
BEIJING: Growth in China's exports likely slowed in May despite a lowering of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, as the fallout from the still-unresolved trade war and uncertainties in Sino-U.S. ties weighed on shipments. Outbound shipments are projected to have risen 5.0% year-on-year in value terms last month, according to the median forecasts of 20 economists polled by Reuters. That compares with an 8.1% jump in April. Imports are forecast to drop 0.9% in May from the previous year in value terms, widening from a 0.2% dip in April. The global trade war and the swings in China-U.S. trade ties have in the past two months sent Chinese exporters, along with their business partners across the Pacific, on a roller coaster ride. An hour-and-a-half-long phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping late Thursday kept the lid on tensions but left key trade issues such as Beijing's control on rare earth exports and Washington's curbs on chip-related exports to further talks. In mid-May, China and the United States struck a 90-day truce in their bruising tariff war and walked back most of the triple-digit levies they heaped on each other's goods, which had taken effect in early April. Those tariffs, as well as uncertainties surrounding the global trade order after the Trump administration ordered a 90-day pause to its 'reciprocal tariffs' on other trade partners, had accelerated China's exports in March and April, as factories rushed out shipments to the U.S. and overseas manufacturers. The lowering of U.S. tariffs on China, however temporary, was welcome news to China's policymakers as they seek to shore up an economy reliant on exports and beset by lacklustre domestic demand and sagging prices. Economists polled by Reuters appear divided on how the turnabout from the Geneva trade talks would impact China's overall exports last month, with estimates ranging from a 9.3% growth to a 2.5% drop. South Korea exports fall as tariffs hit US, China shipments The tariff truce might trigger a new round of frontloading and reduce the urgency for the Chinese government to 'roll out a sizable stimulus package and start some necessary structural reforms', Nomura analysts wrote in a report on May 23. The Nomura analysts estimate that average U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports could remain 'hefty at about 42%' even without further hikes, and expect China's export growth to slow down sharply in the second half of the year. China's first-quarter economic growth beat expectations, but any cheer was overridden by persistent strains in China-U.S. ties. Factory activity data for May shows Chinese manufacturers may have already felt the tariff pains. The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) shrank for a second month in May, while the gauge in a private-sector survey shrank for the first time in eight months. The central bank last month cut benchmark lending rates to lessen the impact of the trade war on the economy, and lowered the ceiling for deposit rates to offset margin pressure on banks and prompt savers to spend or invest more. China's May trade surplus is forecast at $101.3 billion, up from $96.18 billion in April.


Business Recorder
4 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Gold rises as weak US data outweighs optimism from Trump-Xi call
Gold rose on Friday and was set for weekly gains, as a spate of soft U.S. economic data outweighed initial optimism over U.S. President Donald Trump's call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, while investors awaited U.S. payroll data. Spot gold was up 0.5% at $3,368.49 an ounce, as of 0340 GMT. Bullion has gained 2.5% for the week so far. U.S. gold futures climbed 0.5% to $3,391.40. Trump and Xi engaged in a rare leader-to-leader call on Thursday, addressing escalating trade tensions and disputes over critical minerals, though key issues remain unresolved. 'Some of the initial enthusiasm for risk appetite following the Trump-Xi call has started to wear off, which has enabled gold to creep higher,' said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, adding, as Trump's optimistic take masked recent weak U.S. economic data earlier. The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased to a seven-month high last week. Investors are now awaiting U.S. nonfarm payroll data due at 12:30 GMT, after a slew of data throughout this week highlighting labor market softness. Economists polled by Reuters forecast nonfarm payrolls increased by 130,000 jobs in May, down from 177,000 in April, while the unemployment rate is expected to remain steady at 4.2%. 'The upcoming NFP release could be the catalyst for a breakout should the data produce a significant miss on either side of expectations,' Waterer said. Gold soars significantly by Rs4,300/tola in Pakistan Fed policymakers indicated that inflation remains a greater concern than labor market cooling, suggesting a prolonged hold on monetary policy adjustments. Gold, often seen as a safe-haven asset, tends to perform well during economic uncertainty and in low-interest-rate environments. Spot silver fell 0.4% to $35.99 per ounce, still hovering near a 13-year high, while platinum rose 1.7% to $1,149.88 and palladium was up 0.8% at $1,014.31. All three metals were headed for weekly gains.