By Zahid Karani
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, on Tuesday stressed the need to strengthen economic diplomacy, innovation, industrialisation and regional connectivity to fully benefit from growing Pakistan-China cooperation.
He was speaking at a luncheon hosted for the Karachi business community by the Director General of the Foreign Affairs Liaison Office, Muhammad Irfan Soomro, which was attended by business leaders, industrialists, exporters, entrepreneurs and stakeholders from agriculture, fisheries, logistics, technology and manufacturing sectors.
Ambassador Hashmi said the world was undergoing a major transformation in which economic strength, innovation, connectivity, supply chains and technology had become key instruments of global influence.
He said China had emerged as one of the world’s leading economic powers through strategic planning, institutional discipline, investment in human capital and technological advancement, describing it as a land of opportunities.
Referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he called it a project of “destiny, opportunity and regional transformation”, adding that it should now move beyond roads and energy projects towards industrialisation, technology transfer, innovation, agriculture modernisation and business-to-business connectivity.
He said Pakistan needed to adopt lessons from China’s development model by focusing on industrial clustering, export competitiveness, smart infrastructure, digital payments, agricultural modernisation and innovation-driven growth.
The ambassador said the country must shift from raw agriculture to value-added agri-processing, from seafood exports to modern fisheries systems, from traditional textiles to technical textiles and from outsourcing to innovation-based industries.
Highlighting Karachi’s importance, he described the city as the economic heartbeat of Pakistan and a key bridge connecting South Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf and Africa through trade, finance and logistics.
He said modern diplomacy could no longer remain limited to political engagement, adding that diplomats must also act as facilitators of trade, technology, investment and strategic partnerships.
Ambassador Hashmi said the next phase of CPEC should focus on markets, digital economies, SMEs, startups and human capital development, particularly empowering youth as entrepreneurs and innovators.
He warned that countries failing to innovate risked becoming irrelevant in the emerging global order, adding that economic diplomacy must become a national priority.
He reaffirmed the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and China, expressing confidence that cooperation would expand further through trade, joint ventures, research collaboration, smart logistics and shared prosperity.
Concluding his remarks, he urged the business community to think bigger, plan longer and act faster for Pakistan’s economic transformation, reiterating the slogan “Pakistan-China friendship forever”. He also responded to questions from business leaders regarding trade and investment opportunities.
Earlier, Consul General of China in Karachi, Yang Yundong, and Director General of the Foreign Affairs Liaison Office, Irfan Soomro, also spoke on the occasion.
