Guangming Daily | Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister: Pakistan and China Enter a New Stage of Digital Economy Cooperation

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, coinciding with a new stage of high-quality development under CPEC 2.0. On May 13, H.E. Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, attended a Chinese enterprise event in Islamabad and stated that the friendship and all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China have stood the test of time and are built on a solid foundation. He emphasized that the two countries are now entering a new stage of cooperation in the digital economy.

Earlier that day, the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters of Beijing United Information Technology Co., Ltd. (IBI) was officially inaugurated in Islamabad. H.E. Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, attended the launch ceremony and delivered keynote remarks. Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, representatives from Pakistani ministries and government agencies, and delegates from more than 200 leading enterprises from both countries gathered to witness this milestone moment in China–Pakistan digital economy cooperation.

“The launch of the IBI Digital Economy Headquarters is another milestone in Pakistan–China friendship,” Dar stated. “Today, we are moving from roads to networks, from physical infrastructure to digital architecture. We are building a Digital Silk Road.”

H.E. Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, delivering remarks at the event ▲

H.E. Khalil Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, noted that IBI’s stable, healthy, and dynamic development serves as a bridge and bond connecting enterprises of both countries. Through its deep engagement in China–Pakistan digital industrial cooperation, IBI has helped transform diplomatic achievements into tangible industrial cooperation outcomes.

“China’s mature industrial chains, supply chain advantages, and digital operational capabilities are highly aligned with Pakistan’s urgent needs for industrial upgrading and digital transformation,” said Qian Xiaojun, Founder and CEO of IBI.

He emphasized that Pakistan is a strategic gateway for IBI’s deep engagement with Belt and Road markets. The newly launched IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters will provide enterprises from both countries with one-stop services covering cross-border trade, intelligent logistics, and digital supply chain development. The platform will also facilitate exchanges through China–Pakistan business cooperation mechanisms and comprehensively support industrial ecosystem development and mutually beneficial growth.

At present, China and Pakistan are actively implementing the Action Plan for Building an Even Closer China–Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era (2025–2029), while advancing the development of the Digital Silk Road and CPEC 2.0.

According to the organizers, more than 110 cooperation agreements were signed during the event. The strong momentum generated by the deep integration of China’s high-quality industrial capacity and digital technologies with Pakistan’s local industries is continuously injecting fresh digital momentum and industrial vitality into the China–Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the new era.

(Zhang Feiye, Guangming Daily All-Media Reporter)