Pakistan-China Trade and Investment Relations Reach New Heights: Zubair Tufail
Pakistan-China economic relations continue to strengthen, with expanding trade, investment, and industrial cooperation creating new opportunities for long-term growth. President of the United Business Group (UBG), Zubair Tufail, said the enduring friendship between the two countries has evolved into a strong economic partnership, driven by increasing bilateral trade and the progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Pakistan-China Partnership Strengthens Through Trade and CPEC
Congratulating the Chinese leadership and people on the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Zubair Tufail said the 75-year diplomatic relationship between Pakistan and China has developed into one of Pakistan’s most significant strategic and economic partnerships.
According to UBG Central Spokesperson Gulzar Feroz, Tufail stated that China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner and investor, while CPEC has become a historic milestone in bilateral relations, contributing significantly to Pakistan’s economy, infrastructure, and energy sector.
Pakistan-China Trade Continues to Expand
Highlighting the growing volume of bilateral commerce, Tufail said trade between Pakistan and China has reached approximately US$24 billion.
He noted that Pakistan’s exports to China stand at around US$3.5 billion, while imports from China have exceeded US$20 billion. He emphasized that providing Pakistani exporters with access to modern technology, value addition, and improved market access could enable exports to China to double within the next few years.
CPEC Driving Investment and Economic Growth
Zubair Tufail said that more than US$25 billion in direct investment has been made under CPEC, supporting the development of energy projects, highways, ports, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and other industrial initiatives.
He added that CPEC projects have created employment opportunities for more than 75,000 Pakistanis while contributing over 8,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, helping ease Pakistan’s energy challenges.
Second Phase of CPEC Offers New Opportunities
The UBG President stressed that the next phase of CPEC should focus on accelerating investment in Special Economic Zones, industrial cooperation, agricultural technology, information technology, mining, e-commerce, and green energy projects.
He also highlighted Gwadar Port’s potential to become a major regional trade hub, enabling Pakistan to benefit from transit trade as well as logistics, shipping, and export activities.
Pakistan-China Cooperation Can Boost Investment
According to Tufail, Pakistan offers substantial investment opportunities for Chinese businesses in sectors including textiles, engineering, auto parts, electronics, renewable energy, agricultural machinery, and food processing.
He said stronger private-sector collaboration, business-to-business partnerships, joint ventures, and technology transfer between Pakistan and China could significantly increase Pakistan’s exports and strengthen industrial cooperation.
UBG Appreciates Chinese Consulate’s Role
Zubair Tufail also acknowledged the contributions of Feng Deheng, Acting Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Karachi, for promoting trade, economic cooperation, and people-to-people relations between the two countries.
He said Feng Deheng has played an important role in strengthening ties between Karachi’s business community, the industrial sector, and Chinese enterprises, helping expand investment, trade cooperation, and business-to-business engagement.
Expressing confidence in the future of Pakistan-China relations, Tufail said the Chinese Consulate in Karachi would continue supporting bilateral trade, investment, industrial cooperation, and cultural exchanges, further strengthening the long-standing friendship and economic partnership between the two countries.
