Beijing (TDI): Pakistan is stepping up efforts to attract export-oriented investment, with agreements worth around $11 billion signed with Chinese partners, Pakistan’s ambassador to China said during meetings in Beijing.
Ambassador Khalil Hashmi met individually with Pakistan’s honorary investment counsellors based across China to improve coordination and set priorities for the year ahead. He also hosted a joint working luncheon with the counsellors as part of the engagement.
The meetings were attended by representatives including Ma Xiaoli, on behalf of Yuan Jianming, along with Zhang Baozhong, Wang Zihai and Jian Peng.
Ambassador Hashmi acknowledged the counsellors’ work across key regions such as the Hong Kong–Macao–Greater Bay Area, known for its technology and innovation, Xinjiang, which serves as an important gateway to Pakistan, Shandong, one of China’s major industrial centres, and Henan, an emerging hub for agriculture.
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He highlighted the counsellors’ role in promoting trade, investment and people-to-people links, urging them to align their outreach with Pakistan’s development priorities. The ambassador encouraged greater mobilisation of Chinese investment in sectors aimed at boosting Pakistan’s exports.
Reviewing progress over the past two years, Hashmi said Pakistan had identified 21 priority sectors for investment, with a focus on joint ventures to expand productive capacity while linking investment flows with skills and human capital development.
He expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of two business-to-business investment conferences held in Shenzhen and Beijing, along with six sector-specific roadshows organised since last year. These initiatives have resulted in more than 300 memorandums of understanding and 25 joint ventures, with a combined value of approximately $11 billion.
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The ambassador informed the counsellors that a high-level follow-up mechanism is active in Pakistan to facilitate the execution of these agreements. He urged them to closely pursue MoUs within their respective regions to ensure commitments translate into practical results.
The investment counsellors welcomed the move to hold a structured annual review, describing it as a step toward institutionalised engagement. They shared their plans for 2026 and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Pakistan’s economic diplomacy goals and strengthening bilateral cooperation in mutually beneficial areas.
