International Big Data Expo: CM proposes Punjab-Guizhou joint working group for AI, digital cooperation, smart agriculture

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, during a meeting with He Zhongyou, Party Secretary of Guiyang, and a Chinese delegation on the sidelines of the International Big Data Expo in Guiyang, Guizhou province, proposed holding a Business and Investment Conference aimed at technology transfer and promotion of local manufacturing.

During the meeting, the chief minister offered to establish a joint working group on digital cooperation, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart agriculture. She also proposed cooperation in the field of medical diagnosis through artificial intelligence and invited the Guizhou delegation to visit Lahore.

Maryam Nawaz expressed her wishes for further successes for China and a brighter future for the Chinese people, and prayed for further strengthening and consolidation of Pakistan-China friendship. “Punjab is ready and keen for foreign investment. Punjab is ready for development and partnership. China is changing the direction of the world through a digital revolution,” she said.

The chief minister said the digital technology being developed in Guizhou was highly commendable and could serve as a model for others. “We want to learn from China’s experiences and successes. The beauty, development and remarkable transformation of Guizhou are impressive. Like China, we are also working on infrastructure development and increasing forests and greenery,” she said. She said Guizhou had emerged as China’s digital hub through technological advancement. “We want to learn and understand how millions of people can be lifted out of poverty through industry, digitalisation and rural development,” she added.

Maryam Nawaz said Pakistan and China should transform their historic friendship into tangible projects, investment and employment opportunities. “We want to turn our friendship into real benefits. We want to learn from China about industrialisation, digitalisation and rural development and how millions of people have been lifted out of poverty,” she said.

She said relations between Pakistan and China could be taken from the national level to the provincial and people-to-people level. “We seek to work with the Guizhou team in the journey of development and seek China’s support for people living below the poverty line,” she added. “We are all great admirers of China’s esteemed President Xi Jinping. His vision, iron resolve and relentless pursuit of success are exemplary,” the chief minister said.

She said she was personally an enthusiastic follower of President Xi Jinping’s philosophy of shared prosperity, shared human goals, security, stability and sovereignty of all nations.

According to a message received here, the chief minister said Guizhou was witnessing not merely development but a complete transformation. “The credit for turning the vision of development into reality goes to the great leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping,” she said.

Maryam Nawaz appreciated the leadership role and extensive experience of Party Secretary He Zhongyou and his team in publicity, media regulation, cyberspace, administration and governance, as well as in Shanghai, central government organisations and Guizhou. She said meeting a knowledgeable and accomplished leader like He Zhongyou was a matter of great honour. “Pakistan and China are partners in an enduring, time-tested and all-weather friendship. This year, Pakistan and China are proudly celebrating the 75th anniversary of their beautiful and exemplary diplomatic relations,” she said.

The chief minister said Pakistan-China friendship was not merely a relationship between two governments or two countries. “It is a relationship of trust between the hearts, people and nations of the two countries. This friendship is based on trust, mutual respect and affection, with cooperation and mutual support as its foundation,” she said.

Maryam Nawaz said there was also a personal and deep connection with Pakistan-China friendship. “Generations of Pakistani leadership have nurtured this friendship. In particular, my father Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has always attached the highest importance to Pakistan-China relations. My uncle and incumbent Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has worked tirelessly and consistently for Pakistan-China relations and economic partnership,” she said.

She said she was now fortunate to have the honour of taking the Pakistan-China friendship forward. “My love and attachment to China is not merely a relationship between countries, people or hearts; it is in my blood,” Maryam Nawaz said. She said that as Pakistan’s first woman chief minister, she was responsible for a province of 130 million people. “China is a trusted friend and brother for us. We want to take our historic relationship into a new era. We want to build relations with China on the foundations of investment, technology, industrial development, innovation, culture and shared human goals,” she said.

The chief minister said there was a very strong foundation for relations between Punjab and Guizhou. “The size of our economies may be different, but we share many common and similar characteristics,” she said. She said Punjab had a population of 130 million and people from other federating units also came to the province in search of better livelihood opportunities. “Guizhou has a population of 38.6 million, while Punjab can be compared to a large country in terms of population,” she said. Maryam Nawaz said both Guizhou and Punjab were large regions with abundant human resources and continuously growing populations. “Punjab is undergoing a rapid transformation. In just two and a half years, Punjab has made significant progress through relentless hard work,” she said.

She said construction, repair, rehabilitation and expansion work on 50,000 roads had been completed in Punjab. “For the first time, Punjab also has a comprehensive electric mobility infrastructure. Chinese-manufactured environment-friendly electric buses are serving the people of Punjab,” she said.

The chief minister said a rapid improvement in air quality through electric buses had also been witnessed in Punjab. “In the past, air pollution and smog persisted in Punjab for three months, but smog has not been seen for the past two years. We learned from China’s success in eliminating smog and continue to learn from its experience,” she said.

She said considerable work had been done in Punjab for environmental protection and efforts were also under way to increase forest cover. “This is the only way to deal with a disaster like smog,” she added.

Maryam Nawaz said Punjab and Guizhou had strong agricultural foundations as well as manufacturing and services sectors. “Seventy per cent of Pakistan’s total agricultural produce is generated in Punjab, making agriculture extremely important for the province. The agriculture sector provides employment and livelihoods to a large segment of Punjab’s population,” she said. She said Guizhou’s economy was also based on major sectors including agriculture, industry, construction and services. “Punjab is a huge agricultural and consumer market. Sixty-five per cent of Punjab’s population is under the age of 30, providing a young workforce, while the province also has considerable manufacturing potential,” she said.

The chief minister said Guizhou had rich experience in industrial development, digital infrastructure and intelligent computing technology. “We want to move beyond the traditional economic model with Guizhou towards higher productivity, value-added goods, technology and private-sector partnerships,” she said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026