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BEIJING, Oct 24 (APP):The potential of economic and trade cooperation between China and Pakistan is enormous. In the days ahead, this potential is expected to be further unleashed, thereby achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.
This was stated by Prof. Cheng Xizhong, Senior Research Fellow at the Charhar Institute, a non-governmental Chinese think-tank on diplomacy and international studies based in Beijing.
He said, first of all, the China-Pakistan trade scale has maintained a sound growth momentum in recent years. According to the data released by Huajing Industry Research Institute on October 13 this year, the total value of bilateral trade in goods between China and Pakistan from January to August 2025 reached 16.724 billion US dollars, an increase of 1.849 billion US dollars compared with the same period last year, representing a year-on-year growth of 12.5%.
Secondly, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has played a remarkable catalytic role. As a model of cooperation between the two countries, CPEC covers multiple fields including investment, trade, energy and transportation. The Special Economic Zones (SEZs) built along the corridor will further boost trade and investment. For instance, the Gwadar Port, which will serve as a node of the trade and energy corridor, is expected to develop into a key trade hub, providing a more convenient channel and a broader platform for bilateral trade, he told APP.
Thirdly, he said, there is a strong industrial complementarity between China and Pakistan. China has advantages in fields such as manufacturing, infrastructure construction and energy, while Pakistan is endowed with abundant natural and human resources. For instance, Pakistan is rich in resources such as agricultural and mineral products, and China has a high demand for these products. Meanwhile, China’s mechanical equipment, power equipment and other products can meet Pakistan’s needs in infrastructure construction and industrial development.
Fourthly, there is great potential for market demand. Pakistan has a population of over 250 million, and its market demand keeps growing, providing a good market for Chinese commodities. Meanwhile, the rapid development of China’s economy has led to an increase in demand for Pakistan’s agricultural products, mineral products and other goods. In addition, cooperation between the two countries in emerging fields such as e-commerce and digital economy is also expected to open up new growth points in trade.
Prof Cheng said that last but not least, the two governments have demonstrated strong policy support. Both the Chinese and Pakistani governments attach great importance to economic and trade cooperation, having signed a series of cooperation agreements that provide policy guarantees and support for trade and investment.
Furthermore, the Pakistani government has offered a range of preferential policies to Chinese investors, for example, profits and dividends can be freely remitted back. These measures are conducive to attracting investment from Chinese enterprises, he concluded.