People’s Daily: Chinese Enterprise Builds a Digital Bridge for the China–Pakistan Ironclad Partnership

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, coinciding with a new stage of high-quality development under CPEC 2.0. On May 13, the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters was officially inaugurated in Islamabad, Pakistan. H.E. Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, attended the launch ceremony and delivered keynote remarks. Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, representatives from Pakistani ministries and government agencies, and delegates from more than 200 leading enterprises from both countries gathered to witness this milestone in China–Pakistan digital economy cooperation.

The launch of the project has injected new digital and industrial vitality into the building of an even closer China–Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the new era.

“The launch of the IBI Digital Economy Headquarters marks a transformative milestone in the China–Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” said H.E. Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, in his remarks. He emphasized that China and Pakistan are moving from roads to networks and from physical infrastructure to digital architecture.

“Today, we are building a Digital Silk Road, beginning with the launch of the IBI Digital Economy Headquarters in Islamabad. This is another milestone in Pakistan–China friendship and reflects growing international confidence in Pakistan’s future as a platform for technology, investment, and digital transformation.”

On May 14, H.E. Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, received a delegation led by Qian Xiaojun, Founder and CEO of IBI, at the Prime Minister’s Office. He highly commended IBI’s practical initiatives in deepening bilateral industrial cooperation and supporting the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0. In conjunction with these initiatives, IBI is scheduled to host two B2B conferences in Hangzhou and Beijing, China.

H.E. Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan ▲

H.E. Khalil Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, who has visited IBI on multiple occasions, noted that IBI serves as a bridge and bond connecting enterprises of both countries and acts as a business diplomacy ambassador between China and Pakistan. He stated that through its deep engagement in China–Pakistan digital industrial cooperation, regular integration of government and business resources, and large-scale facilitation of enterprise partnerships, IBI has helped transform the strategic directives of the leaders of both countries into tangible industrial cooperation outcomes.

To address information barriers, geographical limitations, and inefficiencies in cross-border business matchmaking, the organizers arranged a series of high-level industrial matchmaking events in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. These activities covered key sectors where China and Pakistan enjoy complementary advantages, including chemicals, textiles, renewable energy, building materials, electronics, and automobiles. Through targeted B2B matchmaking, enterprises from both countries were able to identify opportunities more efficiently and explore new areas of cooperation.

The establishment of digital platforms and the enhancement of end-to-end service capabilities have also effectively addressed long-standing challenges faced by Chinese SMEs seeking international expansion. Leveraging IBI’s network of more than 3.6 million enterprise members, a large number of high-quality SMEs have gained access to efficient and cost-effective pathways for overseas market entry.

“China’s mature industrial chains, supply chain advantages, and digital operational capabilities are highly aligned with Pakistan’s urgent needs for industrial upgrading and digital transformation,” said Qian Xiaojun, Founder and CEO of IBI.

He emphasized that Pakistan is the first core destination in IBI’s global expansion strategy and a strategic gateway for the company’s deep engagement with Belt and Road markets. The newly launched IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters will leverage its mature “6+N” full-chain service system to provide enterprises from both countries with one-stop, end-to-end services, including cross-border trade, intelligent logistics, digital supply chain development, cloud AI empowerment, joint venture facilitation, and investment compliance support. It will also establish a platform for business exchanges and cooperation between China and Pakistan, comprehensively empowering industrial ecosystem co-development and mutually beneficial growth.

Currently, China and Pakistan are advancing cooperation under the Action Plan for Building an Even Closer China–Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era (2025–2029). Both countries are accelerating the development of the Digital Silk Road and CPEC 2.0, with a focus on industrial upgrading, digital economy cooperation, renewable energy development, and livelihood improvement projects.

The establishment of the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters aligns closely with the strategic priorities of both countries and has become a key platform for industrial digitalization cooperation under the CPEC 2.0 framework. The platform integrates trade facilitation, investment promotion, supply chain digitalization, SME empowerment, and policy dialogue functions, helping reduce risks associated with cross-border cooperation, improve industrial matchmaking efficiency, and strengthen the foundation for a sustainable China–Pakistan digital economy ecosystem.

At the launch ceremony, Liu Zhai, Senior Vice President of IBI, expressed her commitment to promoting deeper integration of industrial demand between China and Pakistan and creating a benchmark model for cluster-based overseas expansion by private enterprises.

She noted that IBI will continue to ensure that the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan flourishes through industrial cooperation and digital empowerment.

According to the organizers, more than 110 cooperation agreements were signed during the event. The strong atmosphere of collaboration demonstrated the growing momentum generated by the deep integration of China’s high-quality industrial capacity and digital technologies with Pakistan’s local industries. This synergy is continuously injecting fresh digital momentum and industrial vitality into the China–Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the new era.