China has finalised joint venture agreements worth $1.5 billion with Pakistan and signed memoranda of understanding valued at about $9 billion across agriculture, automotive and minerals, Federal Minister for Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh has announced.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Sheikh said China is also set to invest an additional $10 billion in the near future, noting that global attention is increasingly turning toward Pakistan, with broad-based foreign investment expected in the coming years.
The minister highlighted that a trade delegation of 300 businesspersons from multiple sectors, organised by the Pakistani government, recently visited China. He also revealed plans to connect the Reko Diq project to Karachi via Chagai through a dedicated railway track and a new highway.
Sheikh added that $7 million will be secured from international financial institutions to develop an economic corridor linking Chagai to Karachi. He further said that following the success of Operation Bunyan Um Marsoos, demand for Pakistan’s fighter aircraft has risen globally, with production orders anticipated from several countries.
According to Sheikh, the largest share of foreign direct investment is expected to flow into agriculture and mining.
Separately, at the 8th Pakistan Leadership Conversation organised by ACCA, Sheikh stressed that Pakistan’s ambition to become a trillion-dollar economy hinges on alignment between policy, capital, industry and institutions.
He warned that fragmented progress could not deliver sustainable growth, and said that digital technologies, AI and fintech can accelerate economic advancement if scaled beyond pilot projects.