Pakistan and China Forge Pharmaceutical Cooperation Under CPEC 2.0 at Landmark B2B Investment Conference
Key Insights
A two-day Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and biotechnology opened in Islamabad, bringing together over 200 Pakistani companies and leading Chinese investors and industry leaders.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated the B2B agreements signed mark an important step in advancing CPEC 2.0, focusing on co-production of medicines, vaccines (search), and life-saving healthcare products.
Discussions centered on six priority areas including active pharmaceutical ingredients (search), biotechnology and vaccines (search), medical devices, generic medicines (search), clinical trials, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (search).
A two-day Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and biotechnology sectors opened Friday in Islamabad, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into life sciences. The event brought together leading Pakistani pharmaceutical, healthcare, and biotechnology companies with Chinese investors, manufacturers, technology providers, and industry leaders.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing the conference, emphasized that the gathering would provide a significant platform for strengthening collaboration between the pharmaceutical industries of both nations. "The B2B agreements signed between Pakistani and Chinese companies during the event mark another important step in advancing cooperation under CPEC 2.0," Sharif said.
Expanding CPEC 2.0 into Life Sciences
The conference represents a strategic broadening of CPEC's second phase, which focuses on industrial development, agriculture, information technology, and Special Economic Zones beyond the infrastructure-centric first phase. Sharif noted that the collaboration would encourage private-sector partnerships in the co-production of medicines, vaccines (search), and other life-saving healthcare products while opening new avenues for investment and industrial cooperation.
"Pakistan's pharmaceutical sector offers immense potential for growth and investment," Sharif stated, adding that collaboration in pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccine production, biotechnology, and research and development would strengthen the country's healthcare industry, enhance local production capacity, and contribute to economic development.
Six Priority Areas Identified
Haroon Akhtar Khan, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Industries and Production, outlined six priority areas that structured the conference discussions: active pharmaceutical ingredients (search), biotechnology and vaccines (search), medical devices, generic medicines (search) and injectables, clinical trials and research, as well as herbal medicines and Traditional Chinese Medicine (search).
Khan revealed a critical vulnerability in Pakistan's pharmaceutical supply chain, noting that the country currently imports approximately 90 percent of the raw materials required by its pharmaceutical industry. He argued that Chinese investment, advanced technology, and expertise could significantly strengthen domestic manufacturing, reduce reliance on imports, improve supply chain resilience, and boost exports.
The conference brought together leading Chinese companies represented by a large number of delegates, along with more than 200 Pakistani companies, making it one of the largest business gatherings between the two countries in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and biotechnology sectors.
Chinese Commitment and Market Access
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong reaffirmed China's commitment to strengthening economic and industrial cooperation with Pakistan. He said the Chinese embassy would continue to facilitate closer engagement between enterprises of the two countries and provide support to expand bilateral investment and business cooperation.
Jiang also expressed hope that Pakistan would continue to provide a stable security environment and favorable business conditions for Chinese enterprises operating in the country. Noting that China's vast market presents new opportunities for Pakistan, Jiang said enhanced business cooperation would deliver mutual benefits while strengthening the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.
Building a Skilled Workforce
In parallel with the investment conference, Pakistan's embassy in Beijing hosted a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Symposium on pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and biotechnology, serving as a preparatory platform. Pakistan's Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, said Islamabad plans to integrate leading Chinese TVET institutions into the investment conference framework, with a dedicated TVET partnership forum aimed at strengthening vocational education, human resource development, and investment facilitation under CPEC 2.0.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal called for joint training programs, university-industry collaboration, and Pakistan-China centers of excellence, emphasizing that these initiatives will prepare a skilled workforce for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and biotechnology industries. Zhang Junhua, an official from China's human resources ministry, announced that five leading Chinese technical institutions specializing in pharmaceutical and healthcare education have been invited to explore cooperation with Pakistan.
Challenges and Outlook
Despite the renewed momentum, several CPEC projects have experienced delays in recent years, with security concerns and bureaucratic hurdles slowing implementation. Nevertheless, both Pakistan and China continue to reaffirm their commitment to advancing CPEC 2.0 and expanding cooperation in emerging sectors.
The conference, which runs from Friday to Saturday, features B2B matchmaking sessions and one-on-one meetings between companies from both countries to form joint ventures, technology partnerships, and long-term industrial collaboration.