PM Sharif welcomes Chinese firm’s plan to set up digital economy headquarters in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed a high-level Chinese business delegation and said Islamabad and Beijing would deepen cooperation in digital economy, investment facilitation and industrial development, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office posted on X.

The delegation, led by Qian Xiaojun, founder, president and controlling shareholder of IBI Beijing United Technology, called on the prime minister at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.

Sharif said Pakistan and China shared “historic ties” and were “all-weather strategic cooperative partners,” adding that he looked forward to his upcoming visit to China later this month.

He praised China’s economic progress under President Xi Jinping and said expanding business-to-business cooperation between the two countries was encouraging.

The prime minister also welcomed IBI Group’s decision to establish its Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters in the country, saying it would help strengthen digital economy collaboration and industrial linkages.

He said the initiative would support investment facilitation and improve technological cooperation between the two sides.

The Chinese delegation expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economy and said the group aimed to help build a “digital backbone” for Pakistan’s economic transformation.

According to the statement, the proposed headquarters would serve as a “command centre” for digital transformation and provide opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises by connecting them to Chinese markets.

The delegation’s visit follows the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference held in Beijing in September 2025 during Sharif’s visit.

Several federal ministers and senior officials attended the meeting, including Minister for Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and SAPM on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, among others.