China, Pakistan pledge stronger tech and trade cooperation amid US charm offensive

During a meeting on Thursday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Premier Li Qiang said Beijing would advance the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative.

“Global instability and uncertainty have grown this year,” Li said. “China stands ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with Pakistan, deepen strategic trust and strengthen cooperation.”

Sharif also expressed a willingness to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, agriculture and trade, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

On Wednesday, People’s Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, published an article by Sharif in which he praised Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s technological progress, particularly in agriculture and space science.

“In its early days, the China-Pakistan partnership centred on strengthening political trust and security cooperation,” Sharif wrote. “Today, it spans far beyond politics and defence, extending into economic, scientific and cultural fields.”