Pakistan has identified the Digital Silk Road as the next major phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and proposed a series of high-level technology partnerships with Beijing, according to a statement from the Ministry of IT reported by Arab News on Monday.
During a meeting with Zhang Yunmeng, vice minister of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja proposed joint ventures in 5G/6G technologies, hardware manufacturing, and ICT components. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Telecommunication Development Conference.
The ministry said the proposals were framed within Pakistan’s broader digital cooperation agenda with China, noting that “the Pakistan-China Digital Silk Road” is expected to anchor the next phase of CPEC.
Pakistan underscored the need for China’s support in overcoming structural barriers that limit developing countries’ participation in global technology supply chains. Islamabad called for a joint initiative to reduce the “systemic diversity barrier” in international tech sourcing and sought deeper cooperation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, including through a bilateral talent-exchange programme.
According to the IT ministry, Khawaja also proposed industrial digital upgrades under China’s “intelligent manufacturing” model to modernise local production and align domestic industries with emerging technologies.
Both sides discussed technical collaboration to position Pakistan as a regional data-transit hub through enhanced Pakistan-China fibre connectivity. The ministry said the two countries agreed to deepen their partnership in digital cooperation as discussions move forward.
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