“I need it!” A Pakistani agricultural business representative gave a thumbs-up while repeatedly praising a product showcased by a Chinese tech company. The product integrates digital spectral data collection, intelligent algorithm analysis, and automated detection processes, enabling rapid seed quality identification for agricultural enterprises. The Chinese company representative, while busy adding the Pakistani representative on WeChat, smiled and asked me to help translate: “What we bring to share with our ‘iron brothers’ is, of course, good stuff!”
On May 24, heavy rain poured outside the venue in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, but inside the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference, the atmosphere was exceptionally vibrant. Representatives from more than 500 Chinese and Pakistani companies engaged in in-depth discussions on cooperation in areas such as information technology, telecommunications and agricultural modernisation.
As the world’s fifth most populous country, more than 60 per cent of its population is under the age of 30, providing both a growing consumer base and talent pool for sectors such as software development, e-commerce and digital services.
The pace of business matchmaking at the conference was so intense that even the interpreters arranged by the organisers could barely keep up. As a journalist covering the conference, I was occasionally asked to serve as an impromptu interpreter. Amid the busy conversations, quick handshakes and the signing of MoUs, I witnessed – and at times even became part of – a more grounded and human side of China-Pakistan cooperation. It was there, in these small but vivid moments, that I could see the two countries moving together toward a shared digital future.
“Now the entire global economy is undergoing digital transformation. We must keep pace with this new era, and China is one of the world’s most advanced countries in digital technology. For the people of Pakistan, it is an honor to cooperate with Chinese companies and help promote Pakistan’s digital development,” said Adnan Aftab, a Pakistani tech entrepreneur, in an interview with me.
Digitalisation is now becoming a key driver of Pakistan’s economic transformation. In his speech at the B2B Investment Conference during his recent official visit to China, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif outlined key priorities for both sides, calling for deeper cooperation in areas including agricultural modernisation, the digital economy and artificial intelligence, so as to achieve complementary advantages and win-win outcomes.
Pakistan’s digital development is underpinned by several structural advantages. First, the country has a large youth population. As the world’s fifth most populous country, more than 60 per cent of its population is under the age of 30, providing both a growing consumer base and talent pool for sectors such as software development, e-commerce and digital services. In the 2026 Global Outsourcing Talent Index released by Ataraxis, Pakistan ranked 16th among 193 countries, placing it among the top 9 per cent globally.
At the same time, the Pakistani government has been continuously improving its digital economy policy framework. Through the establishment of Special Economic Zones and Technology Special Zones, it offers tax incentives and infrastructure support. It has also introduced competitive policies for R&D, exports and technology transfer, creating an enabling institutional environment for digital industry development.
In addition, Pakistan also enjoys a distinctive geographic advantage. Located at the crossroads of the Gulf region, China and Africa, it has strong potential to serve as a regional hub for digital trade, cross-border e-commerce and technology services.
Against this backdrop, policy alignment and industrial cooperation between China and Pakistan in the digital sector continue to deepen, enabling more efficient integration of technology, capital and talent, and providing strong momentum for Pakistan’s digital transformation. On May 24, Pakistan and China’s Alibaba announced multiple cooperation agreements covering AI infrastructure, medical AI technologies, SME development, talent training and digital payments.
As Prime Minister Sharif stated at the B2B Investment Conference, “Pakistan is looking for expertise, experience and investment.” Chinese companies, in this process, are providing not only technology and equipment, but also a comprehensive system of experience, training mechanisms and an innovative ecosystem covering digital infrastructure, platform operations and industrial applications.
For Pakistan, such cooperation has clear practical significance. On the one hand, it helps enhance local manufacturing capacity and industrial value-added; on the other, it creates new opportunities for youth employment and entrepreneurship. In the context of rapid digital expansion, SMEs are becoming a key node linking China-Pakistan cooperation.
On the Chinese side, this cooperation is also strategically significant. As digital technologies and manufacturing systems continue to expand outward, Chinese companies are strengthening their localisation capabilities in overseas markets while simultaneously achieving technological iteration and business model upgrades in new environments.
“Our company is based in Mianyang, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province. When would be a convenient time for you to visit?” Even as I was about to leave, the Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs were still leaning over the exhibition table, immersed in discussion with the help of a professional interpreter who had replaced me. Their conversation moved from the performance of the spectral detection system to payment arrangements before turning to plans for an in-person visit, filled with expectations for cooperation.
The writer is a reporter of the opinion desk with the Global Times and can be reached at maruiqian @globaltimes.com.cn