As China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI) continues to deliver tangible outcomes across Pakistan, a Pakistani policy expert has called for framing the initiative as a project-design architecture that translates macroeconomic reforms into real opportunities for youth and underprivileged communities.
Dr. Hassan Daud Butt, Honorary Visiting Fellow and Co-Lead of the China Study Centre at Pakistan’s Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), made the remarks at a conference, China Economic Net reported on Monday.
The event, titled “China’s GDI and Pakistan’s 5Es Framework: Strategic Synergy for Pakistan’s Economic Transformation” was organized by the SDPI, a Pakistan’s premier policy research institution, bringing together senior officials, diplomats and researchers to align two development blueprints for inclusive growth.
Pakistan has set an ambitious 60 billion U.S. dollar export target by 2029 under its Uraan Pakistan national economic transformation plan (2024-2029), which is structured around 5Es (exports, e-Pakistan, environment, energy and equity) framework.
“GDI should be rolled out in Pakistan through a three-pillar implementation system centered on financing, technology and capacity building.
These pillars will be targeted at boosting exports, advancing digital inclusion, strengthening green resilience and prioritizing youth development across all related projects.”
Against a global backdrop where over 90 percent of the world’s young people live in developing countries, Pakistan faces a distinct demographic reality.
The country’s total population has surpassed 250 million, with 64 percent aged under 30, translating to around 160 million young people.
Dr. Butt described the investment in this youth cohort as a national priority that must be embedded in every GDI-5Es program through structured skills training, formal apprenticeship programs and targeted business creation support.
He also highlighted that China’s 15th Five-Year Plan spanning 2026 to 2030 provides a critical reference point for Pakistan’s strategic planning.
He called for aligning local youth skills development, national industrial policy and CPEC 2.0 projects with the trajectory of Chinese technology advancement and capital flow.
Dr. Butt places GDI within a broader global strategic context, noting that the initiative forms part of a carefully sequenced set of frameworks, each addressing distinct dimensions of the evolving global governance system.
Since its inception, GDI has moved rapidly from a conceptual framework to on-the-ground operations in Pakistan and around the world.
Globally, China has advanced more than 1,800 practical cooperation projects under GDI and mobilized more than $23 billion in development funding through multiple collaborative channels.
The SDPI conference featured remarks from Minister Shi Yuanqiang of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, SDPI Board of Governors Chairman Shafqat Kakakhel, Former Board of Investment chairman Haroon Sharif, alongside SDPI research fellows and former Pakistani envoys to China.
Participating policy experts broadly agreed on the need for targeted institutional reforms, private sector-led investment, structured technology transfer, green industrialization and innovative financing mechanisms to deliver sustainable economic growth through the GDI-5Es partnership.