The 2026 Pakistan Investment & Business Environment Exchange Forum was held in Guangzhou, drawing over 160 government officials, business leaders and trade representatives through a hybrid format of online and offline participation.
The event marked the fifth edition of the forum and was held to deepen economic cooperation and celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan.
Hosted by the Guangzhou International Cooperation Center (GICC) and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Guangzhou, and organized by Mera PC Solution (Guangzhou) and the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the forum featured policy presentations, project roadshows, industrial signing ceremonies, cultural and creative product launches, targeted business-to-business matchmaking, and a tasting of Pakistani mangoes, symbolizing the agricultural bonds between the two countries.
In a video address, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain emphasized the event’s significance in deepening people-to-people, economic and agricultural ties. “Mango is one of Pakistan’s most unique treasures,” he said. “We see China as a market of huge importance and enormous future potential. Our objective is not merely to increase the volume of mango exports; we want to build a reliable, sustainable supply relationship between Pakistani exporters and their Chinese counterparts.”
Yang Guangyuan, Minister-Counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, highlighted the strong trade momentum in a video speech. In the first half of 2026, Pakistan’s exports to China totaled $1.87 billion, registering a year-on-year increase of 50.3 percent. He expressed hope that entrepreneurs would seize the opportunities presented by the forum to explore new business avenues and inject fresh momentum into bilateral economic cooperation.
Tu Hongzhe, deputy director general level official of the Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office, highlighted Guangzhou’s comprehensive industrial system and high level of openness. He said Guangzhou and Lahore, as sister cities, had maintained close exchanges over the years, achieving fruitful results in light manufacturing, agricultural trade, transit trade, information technology, leather and footwear, with vast room for further expansion.
Muhammad Imran, Pakistan’s Trade and Investment Counsellor in Guangzhou, presented figures highlighting the growing economic interdependence. He said that in the second half of fiscal year 2025-26, from January to June 2026, Pakistan’s exports to Guangdong reached $227.73 million, up from $188.57 million during the same period of the previous year, an increase of approximately 21 percent. He added that the growth was driven primarily by copper anodes and a substantial rise in broken rice shipments.
In 2025, Guangdong exported $3.352 billion worth of goods to Pakistan, reflecting the complementarity between the two economies.
Muzammil Zia, Director General of the CPEC Secretariat at Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, shared insights on how the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor continues to provide a robust framework for industrial and infrastructure cooperation. Uzair Iqbal, representing the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, echoed the private sector’s eagerness to forge lasting partnerships with Chinese counterparts.
Business representatives from both sides also shared their experiences in navigating cross-border investment and trade. James Yu, General Manager of the Corporate Business Division at SGMW Overseas Department, and Leo Lee, representing Farshine Medical Technology, participated in the discussions. Mandy Guo, Director of GICC, reaffirmed the center’s commitment to building a high-quality platform for sustained government-enterprise cooperation between Guangdong and Pakistan.
The forum featured project roadshows covering Chinese and Pakistani new energy solutions, Pakistani e-commerce, home furnishings and building materials, and food processing, showcasing the diversity of sectors ready for deeper engagement.
The most tangible outcome of the forum was the signing of five memorandums of understanding covering electric vehicle joint venture promotion, battery factory development, building materials and furniture cooperation, pine nut procurement, and international medical and business tourism collaboration.
