Pakistan and China signed a series of agreements during a business-to-business conference held alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China, as both countries moved to deepen cooperation in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, fintech, and next-generation connectivity.
According to details shared by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the visit by Prime Minister Shehbaz, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Khawaja, and other key cabinet members marked an important step in expanding bilateral collaboration as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the conference, Shaza Khawaja said the visit reflected the strength of the longstanding Pakistan-China relationship and highlighted the shared commitment of both sides to advancing a new phase of digital cooperation.
She said Pakistan and China were now focusing on implementation-driven partnerships under CPEC 2.0 and the Digital Silk Road initiative.
The ministry said a number of high-impact government-to-business memorandums of understanding were signed and advanced under the leadership of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication and Ignite – National Technology Fund.
Among the key agreements was a collaboration between Ignite and Alibaba DAMO Academy to build capacity in embodied intelligence across Pakistani universities, with the aim of strengthening Pakistan’s position in next-generation AI technologies.
The ministry said partnerships with Alibaba Cloud would also support the development of Pakistan’s sovereign cloud and artificial intelligence ecosystem. The cooperation includes curriculum development, certification programs, teacher training, and innovation initiatives such as AI hackathons.
At the strategic level, the agreement is also expected to support the development of sovereign cloud infrastructure, AI models, and large-scale digital capacity building in Pakistan.
In fintech, Ignite’s engagement with Koko will explore the expansion of Buy Now, Pay Later solutions to support financial inclusion and the growth of digital commerce.
In the telecom sector, collaboration between the Special Communications Organization and Hannwave aims to advance frameworks for the deployment, operation, and commercialization of 5G services in Pakistan.
Officials described the agreements as a practical step toward turning the idea of Digital CPEC into reality, with a focus on long-term innovation, investment, and talent development between Pakistan and China.
