PM Shehbaz praises Pak-China ties during IBI delegation meeting

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed a high-level Chinese business delegation from IBI Beijing United Technology in Islamabad and expressed satisfaction over the growing business-to-business (B2B) cooperation between Pakistan and China.

The delegation was led by Qian Xiaojun, President and Controlling Shareholder of IBI Beijing United Technology.

During the meeting, the prime minister said Pakistan and China share historic ties and remain “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners.” He praised the rapid development achieved by China under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and said he was looking forward to visiting China later this month.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated IBI Group’s decision to establish its Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters in Islamabad, calling it a positive step toward enhancing digital economy cooperation, investment facilitation and industrial collaboration between the two countries.

He said the initiative would create new opportunities for technological advancement and economic growth in Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Qian Xiaojun expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economic potential and said IBI aims to support the country’s digital transformation by helping develop its digital infrastructure.

He noted that the establishment of IBI’s Digital Economy Headquarters in Pakistan would serve as a command centre for digital transformation and create significant opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by connecting them to the vast Chinese market.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar officially launched the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters in Islamabad.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Ishaq Dar described the initiative as a symbol of the enduring Pakistan-China partnership and a major step toward digital collaboration between the two countries.

“Today, we are moving from roads to networks, from physical infrastructure to digital architecture,” he said. “We are building a digital Silk Road beginning with the launch of the IBI headquarters in Islamabad.”

He welcomed IBI’s entry into Pakistan and said the company’s extensive platform, which serves millions of enterprises across more than 100 industrial sectors in China, reflects growing international confidence in Pakistan’s economy.