Pakistan and China moved to fast-track agricultural cooperation under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as Islamabad hosted the Pakistan–China Agri Investment Conference. The summit aimed at scaling up technology-driven farming, value addition, and bilateral trade, Gwadar Pro reported.

Addressing the delegation of 280 companies, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan could rapidly transform its agrarian economy by adopting Chinese technologies and strengthening institutional collaboration. He emphasised that agriculture, which supports nearly 65% of the population, must shift from subsistence farming to a modern, export-oriented sector.

The Prime Minister highlighted the return of 1,000 Pakistani graduates from leading Chinese agricultural universities as a "landmark initiative." He noted that these trained professionals are now equipped to help local farmers improve yield quality and implement value-added processing.

"CPEC Phase II opens a new chapter of cooperation," the Prime Minister remarked, identifying agriculture, artificial intelligence, IT, and mining as top priorities. Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to expanding bilateral agricultural trade to US $1 billion, with a focus on maintaining Pakistan's trade surplus.

He commended Pakistan’s stabilising economic indicators, including a reported 3.7% growth rate in the first quarter of the fiscal year, and pledged deeper coordination under the CPEC 2.0 action plans. The conference concluded with the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across ten key sectors, including seed technology, livestock, and farm machinery.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China