BEIJING, 11 September 2026 (Kamran Raja): More than two dozen Pakistani companies and a large number of Pakistani professionals are participating in the 13th China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), being held in Beijing from September 9 to 11, highlighting Pakistan’s growing engagement with China’s expanding services sector and creating new opportunities for business cooperation. According to Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, a major CIFTIS conference on September 11 will bring together more than 75 companies from Pakistan and China to explore partnerships, joint ventures and new avenues of trade. He said the Pakistan Pavilion was ready to facilitate these connections and emphasized that Pakistan was open for business. Amid the global shift toward digitalization, the fair is providing Pakistani stakeholders with practical exposure to China’s advances in artificial intelligence, green logistics and advanced trade facilitation, offering potential pathways for upgrading industry and strengthening competitiveness. For Pakistan’s Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), which operates under the Ministry of Industries and Production, the key objective is to equip domestic export manufacturers with modern capabilities to compete in international markets.
Daim Darab Siddiqui, Facilitator for Industrialists in EPZA’s Investment Promotion Department, said CIFTIS was an exceptional platform to learn how services could be enhanced for industrialists and noted that the fair was promoting meaningful collaboration between Pakistan and China while providing direct exposure to infrastructure required by industries. She emphasized the importance of introducing Pakistani industrialists to emerging technologies, modern management practices and future requirements, particularly artificial intelligence, which she described as critical for industrial manufacturing and trade-related services, including quality control, smart warehousing and supply chain tracing. She also appreciated the organization of CIFTIS, saying its cluster-based format, dedicated IT sections, specialized domestic zones and international pavilions provided valuable lessons in international-standard event management. Private sector representatives also highlighted the potential benefits of China’s transition from labor-intensive assembly to high-tech manufacturing for Pakistan’s economic development. Salim Vali Muhammad, Chairman of the Pakistan Chemicals and Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) and head of Texchem Corporation, said Pakistani industrial sectors could benefit substantially from Chinese expertise, particularly in modern trade in services, chemical logistics and advanced material handling. Shahid Firoz, Vice Chairman of OBOR Development Co. (Pvt.) Ltd., who has regularly visited China since 1978, said China’s sustained policy focus had resulted in major advancements in artificial intelligence, new energy vehicles and intelligent manufacturing. He stressed that for developing economies such as Pakistan, stronger commercial links with China’s high-tech ecosystem through bilateral service frameworks could help accelerate industrialization, reduce import dependence and support a more sustainable trade balance.