Pakistan-China mineral cooperation targets $10 billion investment, $50 billion exports by 2035

Pakistan and China have agreed to deepen cooperation in the mineral sector with a focus on production, exports, value addition and employment, as Islamabad pitched for up to $10 billion in new investment and a sharp expansion in exports to China by 2035.

Speaking at the China-Pakistan Mineral Cooperation Forum on Wednesday, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said the bilateral partnership has moved beyond infrastructure and is now centred on industrial development and sustainable growth. He said the evolution coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The minister said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has reshaped Pakistan’s development landscape through investments in energy, transport, Gwadar Port and national connectivity, and that the next phase, referred to as CPEC 2.0, aligns with Pakistan’s economic transformation plan, Uraan Pakistan.

During the forum, Pakistan and China jointly launched the Pak-China E-Mining Platform, a digital initiative aimed at improving information-sharing, project matching and coordination between Pakistani authorities and Chinese companies. Officials said the platform is expected to help unlock more than $10 billion in potential investment in Pakistan’s mineral sector.

Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan’s mineral resources are valued at around $6 trillion, while current mineral exports stand at about $2 billion annually. He said improved governance, modern technology and international partnerships could raise mineral exports to $6–8 billion per year, alongside job creation. 

He added that cooperation should extend beyond extraction to processing, smelting and refining, citing Saindak, Dodar and Thar as examples of existing collaboration.

He said CPEC 2.0 is integrated with Uraan Pakistan, which aims to build a trillion-dollar economy by 2035. During a recent visit to China, a memorandum of understanding was signed to link Uraan Pakistan’s five pillars with President Xi Jinping’s Five Growth Corridors, creating alignment in planning and investment.

The minister said Pakistan’s exports to China could increase from about $3 billion currently to $50 billion by 2035 if access to China’s import market expands. He noted that China’s annual imports are around $2 trillion and said even a limited share for Pakistan could ease foreign exchange pressures and reduce reliance on IMF programmes.

He said the government is prioritising the security of Chinese citizens and investments, adding that protective measures are being implemented under the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

Addressing the forum, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong said China remains interested in investing in Pakistan’s mining sector and supporting capacity-building and technology transfer. He stressed the importance of sustainability and international standards in mining projects and said responsible development could improve resource utilisation and community engagement.

The forum, organised by the China Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan, was attended by more than 70 Chinese companies, over 100 Pakistani firms and around 800 participants. A key outcome of the event was the formal launch of the Pak-China E-Mining Platform.