ISLAMABAD/BEIJING – Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif began a five-day official visit to China with the aim of promoting economic cooperation in the field of export-oriented advanced technologies and innovation, high-tech development, and information and communications technology.
He praised Huawei's latest technical developments and called on the company to expand its investment portfolio in Pakistan. Discussions focused on how Huawei and Pakistan can collaborate to create a better digital future.
Upon his arrival, Huawei President Liang Hua welcomed Prime Minister Sharif and his accompanying delegation. The Prime Minister toured Huawei's exhibition center, where he praised the company's innovative operations and listened to briefings on various areas including e-government, digital banking, telecommunications and artificial intelligence. He also expressed his appreciation for the safe city projects in Pakistan that were completed with the help of Huawei.
In a bilateral meeting with Huawei Chairman, Prime Minister Sharif explained the Pakistani government's efforts to encourage investment and ease of doing business. Huawei has been encouraged to prioritize safe city projects in various Pakistani cities, especially those located within the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan's initiatives to digitize government offices and emphasized investment opportunities in sectors such as the tax system, e-governance and artificial intelligence.
Prime Minister Sharif also invited Huawei to invest in modern agricultural technology in Pakistan and invited Huawei Chairman to visit the country. Subsequently, a framework agreement was signed between the Pakistani Ministry of Information Technology and Huawei, under which Huawei will provide free IT training, including artificial intelligence, to 200,000 Pakistani youth. In addition, Huawei will support the creation of safe cities, e-governance, and digitalization of the economy in Pakistan. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Huawei held a luncheon in honor of the Prime Minister and his accompanying delegation.
