ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is stepping up efforts to attract Chinese investment across 21 priority sectors, with more than 60 Chinese business leaders expected to visit the country in the coming weeks for a series of sector-specific conferences and business-to-business engagements, the information ministry said on Wednesday.
The push comes as Islamabad seeks to deepen economic ties with China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative that has brought billions of dollars in investment into Pakistan over the past decade.
After an initial phase focused largely on energy and transport infrastructure, including power plants, highways and the development of Gwadar port, Pakistan is now transitioning to a second phase of CPEC centered on industrial cooperation, agriculture, information technology and export-oriented manufacturing aimed at generating jobs and sustainable growth.
Pakistan’s ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, highlighted these efforts during a visit to the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo, where he addressed an industrial cooperation summit and participated in sector-specific investment roundtables.
“Ambassador Hashmi ... encouraged Chinese enterprises in Ningbo to join over 60 business leaders scheduled to visit Pakistan for the inauguration of its regional office and matchmaking meetings and interactions with Pakistani counterparts from 8-14 May 2026,” the ministry said in a statement.
Around 100 Chinese enterprises from sectors including home appliances, information technology, chemicals and textiles attended the summit, while nearly two dozen leading firms took part in roundtables focused on information technology and pharmaceuticals, according to the statement.
Pakistan is also organizing a series of follow-up engagements, including an ICT-focused investment conference in Hangzhou, as well as conferences in Lahore on home appliances, electric equipment and battery energy storage, and a separate pharmaceuticals and health care event scheduled for June.
The statement said the engagements reflect a broader attempt to position Pakistan as a destination for Chinese firms seeking to expand overseas production and tap into regional markets, as both countries look to deepen economic cooperation beyond large-scale infrastructure projects.
