The Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Conference held in Lahore has yielded 27 formal agreements in the battery storage sector valued at a combined $82 million, alongside 40 memorandums of understanding signed between companies from both countries across multiple industrial and commercial sectors. The conference brought together 105 representatives from 74 Chinese companies and 136 representatives from Pakistani firms, making it one of the most concentrated bilateral business engagement events held under the broader framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Phase Two cooperation.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, who addressed the conference and conducted a series of one-on-one business-to-business meetings with leading Chinese and Pakistani companies, described the outcomes as evidence of a new era in Pakistan-China economic partnership. He noted that Chinese investors expressed keen interest in Pakistan’s electric vehicle sector during discussions, including the assembly and eventual local manufacturing of electric vehicles, electric vehicle batteries, and advanced energy storage batteries. The government’s stated aim is to promote local manufacturing of modern lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery technologies for both industrial and consumer use across Pakistan, with the conference serving as a structured mechanism for connecting Chinese manufacturers and technology providers directly with Pakistani industrial partners who can help bring those ambitions into production.
Haroon Akhtar Khan stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision is to transform memorandums of understanding and agreements into practical implementation, adding that the government has been working to ensure effective follow-up and execution, with special committees established to oversee the implementation of every agreement and joint venture commitment made at such events. He highlighted that unnecessary regulatory barriers are being removed under the Regulatory Guillotine initiative to make Pakistan a more business-friendly environment for foreign investors. Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi accompanied and facilitated the delegation throughout their visit, and Chinese delegates are also scheduled to conduct factory visits across Pakistan to gain firsthand insight into the country’s manufacturing capabilities and industrial potential, with the delegation also visiting the regional offices of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry in both Lahore and Karachi. The Punjab Board of Investment and Trade facilitated high-impact engagements with Chinese enterprises across electric vehicle manufacturing, battery production, solar energy, telecommunications, steel, supply chain, and advanced technology sectors throughout the conference, reflecting the breadth of industrial interest that Chinese companies are bringing to Pakistan’s investment landscape under the expanding bilateral economic cooperation framework.
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