Pak-China conference aims to boost $1.2bn investment drive

Islamabad: The 2nd Pakistan-China Business Conference will be held in Beijing on September 4, coinciding with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.

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.Pakistan-specific travel guide

"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.