Addressing the Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Business-to-Business Investment Conference in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the importance of safeguarding Chinese nationals, whom he described as the nation’s most ‘dependable’ friends.
His remarks come as Pakistan seeks to deepen industrial cooperation under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“I would like to say with the fullest force at my command that the security of Chinese brothers and sisters in Pakistan is paramount for us. It is most important,” Sharif stated during his address. “We will leave no stone unturned to provide them with the best possible security.”
Statistics from the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) indicate that 20 Chinese citizens were killed and 34 injured in militant attacks between 2021 and December 2024.
The conference, attended by nearly 300 Chinese delegates, witnessed the signing of investment agreements worth approximately $440 million in the health care and pharmaceutical sectors.
Sharif noted that the deals represent a shift toward the second phase of CPEC, which focuses on business-to-business investment and industrial cooperation rather than state-led infrastructure.
“Chinese brothers and sisters in Pakistan are our guests,” Sharif added. “They are brothers, and believe me, their happiness is our happiness.”
The prime minister highlighted that these new agreements will assist Pakistan in manufacturing life-saving medicines and expanding regional exports. He further described China as one of Pakistan’s “most trusted” and ‘most dependable” friend. The event follows a larger business conference held in Hangzhou this May, where Pakistani and Chinese companies signed 207 memorandums of understanding valued at $7.54 billion.
PM Shehbaz concluded his address by reaffirming the enduring bond between the two countries, stating: “Long live China-Pakistan friendship.”
