China-Pakistan Pharmaceutical business briefing draws major investment interest in Beijing

BEIJING, Jun 18 (APP):Pakistan and China took another step forward in deepening their pharmaceutical and healthcare ties today, as top diplomats and industry leaders gathered in Beijing to rally Chinese enterprises ahead of a major investment conference planned for Karachi next month.

The China-Pakistan Pharmaceutical, Healthcare and Biotechnology Business Briefing, jointly organized by the Embassy of Pakistan and the China Industry Overseas Development Association (CODA), drew over 40 companies covering everything from biopharmaceuticals and API manufacturing to medical devices and biotechnology.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Khalil Hashmi, painted an ambitious picture of what Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector has to offer. “We are not asking Chinese enterprises to simply export to Pakistan; we are inviting them to invest in localized production,” he told the gathering. Pakistan’s pharmaceutical market now exceeds $4 billion annually and is growing at 10–12% per year, powered by a population of over 250 million, the fifth largest in the world, CEN reported on Thursday.

He further said Pharmaceutical exports jumped 24% in financial year 2025 to reach $457 million, the fastest growth in two decades. Islamabad has set its sights even higher, targeting $30 billion in pharmaceutical exports within five years. China is already deeply embedded in Pakistan’s supply chain, providing 85–90% of its API requirements and around 95% of its vaccine supply.

On the Chinese side, CODA’s Executive Deputy Secretary-General Jiang Yun highlighted the natural fit between the two countries. China’s world-class pharmaceutical ecosystem, spanning APIs, biologics, gene therapies, and medical devices, lines up squarely with Pakistan’s urgent need for advanced technologies and high-end medical equipment. “The complementary advantages between China and Pakistan are clear,” he said, calling for cooperation to move beyond simple trade toward a deeper model of technology transfer, capacity building, and shared branding.

The spotlight now turns to Karachi, where the sixth Pakistan-China B2B Conference on Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Investment will be held on July 17–18, organized by Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services. The conference will feature matchmaking sessions across seven sub-sectors and factory visits, with senior Pakistani government officials expected to attend.