ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China in May to restore Beijing’s confidence in Islamabad with regard to various projects, Pakistani state media reported on Saturday, citing a senior official.
Beijing is investing over $65 billion in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major segment of its Belt and Road Initiative designed to give China a shorter, more secure trading route to the Middle East and beyond, while also boosting Pakistan’s economy.
Since its initiation in 2013, CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects. But the undertaking has also been hit by Pakistan struggling to keep up its financial obligations as well as attacks on Chinese targets by militants.
Rana Mashhood, chairman of Prime Minister’s Youth Program, said PM Sharif wanted to make Pakistan a partner in economic development, which was why he was striving to bring investment from Pakistan’s friendly countries.
“From May 14, the Prime Minister will make an official visit to the People’s Republic of China, which will restore the confidence of the brotherly neighboring country and the CPEC project will move toward success quickly,” Mashhood was quoted as saying by the state-run APP news agency.
The comments came during his visit to China Window, a Chinese cultural center, in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. On the occasion, Mashhood visited different galleries at the center, signed the friendship wall and recorded his comments in the visitor’s book.
Beijing has been one of Islamabad’s most reliable foreign partners in recent years, readily providing financial assistance to bail out its often-struggling neighbor. In July last year, China granted Pakistan a two-year rollover on a $2.4 billion loan, giving the debt-saddled nation much-needed breathing space as it tackled a balance-of-payments crisis.
But ties have been strained by numerous hurdles in recent years, including scaled-back CPEC projects and attacks on Chinese workers in Pakistan. In the latest attack, five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan on March 26.
Mashhood appreciated the establishment of the Chinese cultural center in Peshawar and said it would be a pivotal hub for further enhancing the bond between Pakistan and China, according to the APP report.
Recognizing the importance of foreign languages for the country’s youth, the official said he had instructed relevant institutions to initiate language programs tailored to meet the diverse needs of different countries.
“He specifically mentioned plans to include the Chinese language in the programs offered by the National Commission for Technical and Vocational Training,” the report read.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit China in May — state media
https://arab.news/6crrh
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit China in May — state media
- The development comes amid efforts to restore China’s confidence in Islamabad regarding various projects
- Scaled-back CPEC projects, attacks on Chinese nationals have lately strained ties between the two countries
Pakistan eyes ‘heavy’ Chinese investments in 10 key sectors at Islamabad agriculture summit
- More than 300 Chinese and Pakistani firms attended the event focusing on fertilizers, seeds, smart farming and irrigation techniques
- Islamabad expects the conference to lead to investments in agriculture, food processing, livestock, farm machinery and renewable energy
KARACHI: Pakistan is expecting “heavy” Chinese investments across 10 key sectors, including agriculture, renewable energy and technology, the Pakistani food security minister said on Monday, as officials and business leaders from both countries gathered for a major agriculture investment summit in Islamabad.
The Pakistan-China Agriculture Investment Conference was billed by Pakistan as a platform for deepening bilateral agricultural ties and supporting broader economic engagement between the two countries.
Around 120 Chinese companies and over 190 Pakistani firms participated in the event that focused on fertilizers, seed varieties, machinery, precision farming and smart irrigation systems, according to the organizers.
Speaking at the event, National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said the conference’s objective was to project Pakistan as a place where Chinese enterprises could grow, innovate and succeed alongside Pakistani partners.
“Heavy investments worth millions of dollars are expected, with multiple MoUs [memorandums of understanding] likely to be finalized by the end of the day across 10 key sectors, including agriculture, food processing, livestock, fisheries, agri-inputs, farm machinery, renewable energy, logistics, technology and value-added exports,” Hussain said on Monday evening.
Pakistan’s exports to China reached approximately $2.38 billion in Fiscal Year 2024–25 that ended in June, while imports stood at $16.3 billion, reflecting growing demand on both sides despite global economic headwinds, according to the minister.
This performance demonstrated resilience and expanding opportunities under the China–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) framework.
Hussain said Islamabad was committed to supporting Chinese investors from regulatory processes to seamless coordination with all government departments and institutions.
“Together, Pakistan and China can push the boundaries of innovation, transform agri-technology, strengthen food security and reshape the economic landscape of the region,” he said.
The completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase I and the launch of CPEC Phase II marked a decisive shift toward industrialization, technology transfer, renewable energy and people-centric development, according to Hussain.
Both sides had signed over 40 MoUs in Sept. 2025, covering modern farming, livestock, fisheries, farm mechanization and advanced technology transfer.
“These initiatives are not just projects; they are lifelines of growth, confidence and mutual trust,” he said, adding that they aim to enhance productivity, expand exports, strengthen food security and ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Pakistan and China have been expanding cooperation in agriculture under the CPEC framework. Officials say stronger agricultural ties could help Pakistan boost exports, ensure food security and create jobs, while offering Chinese companies access to a large farming market and new investment opportunities.
Addressing the conference, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged Pakistani and Chinese agriculturists and experts to strengthen their existing partnership, saying that their sustained hard work and productivity gains could turn Pakistan into a surplus agricultural economy.
“Chinese experts are there to assist us and support us all the way to achieve this wonderful target [of becoming a surplus agricultural economy],” he said. “Now it’s up to us to generate this trade surplus through higher yields, comparative cost and, of course, highest quality.”
The prime minister noted that Pakistan’s policy rate was down to 10.5 percent down from 22 percent two years ago, exports were gradually increasing and macroeconomic indicators were stable.
“Now we have to move toward growth,” he said. “But then it requires solid, hard work, untiring efforts, blood and sweat. Without that, you will not be able to achieve your targets.”
