ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz marked the fourth day of her official visit to China with a significant stop at Huawei Technologies in Shanghai’s Longgang District on Friday. She received a warm reception and announced a strategic partnership with Huawei to transform Lahore into Pakistan’s first state-of-the-art smart city.
Inviting Huawei to invest in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, the chief minister offered full support to establish an office in the Nawaz Sharif IT City.
“We are eager to leverage Huawei’s expertise in telecommunications, electronics, and digital innovation,” Maryam Nawaz said, emphasizing the potential for partnerships that drive technological progress.
The CM pledged complete cooperation to Huawei in setting up assembly and manufacturing plants in Punjab. Additionally, she proposed the establishment of Huawei retail offices and after-sales service centers across the province.
During her visit, Maryam Nawaz held talks with Huawei’s President for Government Affairs, Wang Chengdong, discussing areas such as e-commerce, ecosystem development, and the digitization of health and education sectors. Chengdong provided insights into Huawei’s ongoing projects in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, highlighting successful collaborations such as the Safe City initiatives in Lahore.
The CM expressed keen interest in Huawei’s role in advancing digital health and education systems, which align with Punjab’s vision for digital transformation. She emphasized the importance of empowering the province’s youth with access to cutting-edge digital technologies, proposing Huawei’s assistance in capacity-building initiatives and IT research at Punjab’s first fully AI-powered university.
Maryam Nawaz reiterated her commitment to the vision of a Digital Punjab, underscoring the pivotal role of global partnerships with industry leaders like Huawei.
The visit concluded with the CM touring Huawei’s facilities and exploring further opportunities for collaboration to make Lahore a beacon of technological innovation and progress.
