Pak envoy to China stresses cooperation in multiple sectors

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi has pitched expanded Pakistan–China cooperation in digital agriculture, climate-resilient farming and agri-innovation, while inviting Chinese investors to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

During his visit to China’s Anhui province, the ambassador highlighted that rural development remains central to national prosperity, food security and social stability, stressing the need to empower rural women and youth through digital inclusion and agri-tech skills.

In Hefei, he addressed the opening ceremony of the International Rural Innovation and Development (IRID) Expo-2026, describing it as a key platform linking the full industrial chain of rural development. He also represented the diplomatic corps in a meeting with Anhui Vice Governor Zhang Shuguang, where he appreciated China’s progress in agricultural mechanisation, productivity enhancement and high-quality output.

The ambassador proposed new avenues of collaboration in academia, research and agribusiness, including holding a Pakistan-focused agriculture sub-forum on the sidelines of next year’s IRID Expo in Hefei.

At the Global Summit on Sustainable Agriculture forum, he outlined Pakistan’s priorities for revitalising its agriculture sector and invited the forum’s leadership to hold its next edition in Pakistan. He also urged Chinese enterprises to partner in areas such as hybrid seed development, cotton innovation, wheat molecular biology and livestock genetics.

During his visit to Bengbu, Ambassador Hashmi toured a high-tech industrial zone integrating a pilot free trade zone and bonded logistics facilities, highlighting China’s focus on efficiency and ease of doing business. He also visited the Anhui BBCA Bio-Chemical Complex, China’s largest polylactic acid production facility, and Dachan Group’s Guzhen County plant specialising in poultry breeding and food processing.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026