Shehbaz invites Chinese firms to invest in Pakistan’s farms, SEZs and mining sector

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday invited Chinese companies to expand investments in Pakistan’s agriculture, mining, information technology and industrial sectors, saying Islamabad was focused on attracting expertise and joint ventures rather than financial assistance.

Speaking at the Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference in Hangzhou during his ongoing China visit, the premier identified agriculture, IT, special economic zones (SEZs), and mines and minerals as key sectors for future bilateral cooperation under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

“We are looking for expertise, experience, investments — not loans, not aid, not handouts,” PM Shehbaz said, adding that economic self-reliance could only be achieved through productive investment and industrial growth.

The premier said China imported nearly $100 billion worth of agricultural products annually, while Pakistan’s share remained limited despite its large agricultural base.

He said Pakistan aimed to raise agricultural exports to China by about $10 billion over the next five to seven years through modern farming methods, mechanisation, quality seed development and technology cooperation.

Describing Pakistan as an agrarian economy, PM Shehbaz noted that around 1,000 Pakistanis received advanced agricultural training in China last year and were now contributing to sectoral development back home.

He said enhanced cooperation in agriculture could generate employment opportunities in rural Pakistan while helping develop thousands of small and medium-sized export-oriented enterprises.

Highlighting industrial opportunities, the prime minister said rising labour costs in China had opened space for joint ventures in Pakistan in sectors including textiles, leather and manufacturing aimed at export markets.

He also encouraged Chinese firms to invest in Pakistan’s SEZs, particularly an export zone in Karachi spread over more than 6,000 acres, where the government would provide infrastructure and long-term land leases on attractive terms.

“You will be offered a red carpet treatment,” the premier told investors while inviting Chinese entrepreneurs to visit Karachi and explore investment opportunities firsthand.

PM Shehbaz further pointed to the growth potential in Pakistan’s IT and artificial intelligence sectors, alongside the country’s mineral and gemstone reserves, urging Chinese companies to increase investment in mining and resource development projects.

The prime minister, who arrived in Hangzhou on Saturday for a four-day official visit, is also scheduled to travel to Beijing for meetings with senior Chinese leadership.

He is additionally expected to meet executives of major Chinese firms and visit the headquarters of Alibaba, where cooperation agreements with the Government of Pakistan are anticipated to be signed.