Chinese | Pakistan

PM courts Chinese firms for investment

Of Chinese tiger and French berets

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with China, inviting Chinese companies to invest in diverse sectors of the country’s economy, particularly maritime industries.

Guan Jing GILGIT: The body of Chinese mountaineer Guan Jing, who died on Aug 12 after being hit by falling rocks while descending from the K2 peak, has been recovered and brought to the mortuary in Skardu. The incident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route between Camp-I and the Advanced Base Camp — a section notorious for frequent rockfalls. Guan had successfully reached the summit on Aug 11 with a group of climbers before beginning her descent. According to Karrar Haidri, senior vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the Chinese climber died of a head injury caused by falling rocks. The evacuation was carried out by Army Aviation, which transported the body by helicopter from Concordia. Earlier, a team of mountaineers had attempted the recovery on foot after poor weather had grounded helicopter operations. Guan Jing died on Aug 12, a day after summiting K2 with her group in Gilgit-Baltistan. Her body was later found 100-150 metres above the Advanced Base Camp, at an altitude of around 5,400 metres. At ...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday launched a Special Economic Zone to be set up by a Chinese textile group, with a $100 million investment over five years, projected to yield $400 million in exports.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated a special economic zone (SEZ) in Islamabad to be set up by a Chinese textile group — projected to generate exports worth $400 million for the country, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China, which has supported it through many investments and development projects, such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which, currently in its second phase, has been termed a “lifeline” for the country’s economy. The phase II of the program is expected to focus on industrialisation, spe­c­ial economic zones, clean ene­rgy, agriculture and livelihood projects. PM Shehbaz welcomed the establishment of an SEZ, saying that the “initiative would facilitate technology transfer, skill development, and sustainable industrial growth”. The project will be set up by the Chinese textile group Challenge Fashion Private Limited, which is set to invest $100m over five years in the project. PM Shehbaz met with the compa...

A Chinese mountaineer, Guan Jing, died on Tuesday night after being hit by falling rocks while descending from the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest peak (8,611 metres). Karrar Haidri, Vice President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement that the Chinese mountaineer died on Tuesday night after being hit by falling rocks while climbing down from the peak. “The incident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp — a section notorious for frequent rockfalls,” the statement read. “Guan had reached the summit on Monday with a group of climbers before beginning her descent.” According to the statement, recovery efforts for her body are ongoing, while other climbers who also summited K2 that day are now returning safely to base camp. In total, 32 climbers summited the peak on Monday. Teams with elite Exped, Imagine Nepal, Seven Summit Treks and Alpinist Climber Expedition successfully summited K2 on Monday morning, according to Haidri. “The strong teams stood on the...

Plan for relocation of Chinese industries to be presented during PM Sharif visit

The Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and a Chinese company agreed to boost investments at the port, the maritime affairs ministry said on Tuesday. Pakistan recently increased efforts on the commercialisation of the Gwadar Port, which was built more than a decade ago but remains a non-starter. In January, the government sought the private sector’s support in routing their cargoes through the port, seeking detailed proposals to enhance trade. “China’s Xinning Enterprise have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Gwadar Port Authority to stimulate major industrial and commercial investments at Gwadar Port and its Free Zone, underscoring Gwadar’s growing role as a key regional hub for trade and economic activity,” the maritime affairs ministry said in a press release today. The ministry said that the LoI, which outlines plans for diverse ventures, was signed between Xinning Enterprise’s Yi Jiang and maritime affairs ministry’s additional secretary Umer Zaffar Shaikh, while GPA Chairman Noorul Haq Baloch attended the ev...

Three terrorists, including the mastermind behind the November 2024 attack on Chinese engineers, were killed during a counterterrorism operation in Karachi’s Manghopir area, officials said on Monday. On November 5 last year, two Chinese nationals were shot at and wounded by a private security guard in a textile mill in Karachi’s SITE area. At that time, investigators had suspected that it was a targeted attack. Following the incident, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement that the attack was being probed, adding that Pakistan was committed to the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in the country. A first information report (FIR) was registered two days later against the security guard who had fled after the incident. “A terrorist who masterminded an attack on Chinese engineers in November last year has been killed during an operation in Karachi’s Manghopir area,” Additional Inspector-General of Police, Counter-Terrorism Department Azad Khan told Dawn.com. Khan said the ...

The Chinese leadership has lauded the role of the Pakistan Army and hailed it as a “cornerstone of resilience and a vital contributor” for peace in the region, the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors, including trade, energy, infrastructure, and defence collaboration, with initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) symbolising a shared vision for development. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir is currently on an official visit to China. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement today that he held meetings with senior Chinese political and military leadership in Beijing. “Chinese military leadership reiterated full confidence in the strength of the bilateral defence partnership and acknowledged Pakistan’s pivotal role in promoting regional peace,” it s...

Chinese political and military leadership has hailed the Pakistan Armed Forces as a cornerstone of resilience and a key contributor to regional peace during the official visit of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir to China, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese shipping giant, Shandong Xinxu Group, on Thursday in a move that is set to bring about a “major transformation” in the shipping sector. PNSC, headquartered in Karachi, is Pakistan’s premier national flag carrier, operating under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. The Shandong Xinxu Group Corporation, based in Zibo City, Shandong Province, is a leading Chinese enterprise engaged in international trade and shipping. A statement from the Press Information Department said the MoU signing ceremony took place between the PNSC CEO and the chairman of Shandong Xinxu Group Corporation in Islamabad with Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry present. “The Pakistani shipping sector is set for a major transformation following the signing of a MoU,” he was quoted as saying by the statement. Addressing the signing ceremony, he said the development symbolised a “growing partnership” between Pakistan and...

India will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens from July 24 this year, its embassy in China said on Wednesday, the first time in five years as both countries move to repair their rocky relationship. Tensions between the two countries escalated following a 2020 military clash along their disputed Himalayan border. In response, India imposed restrictions on Chinese investments, banned hundreds of popular Chinese apps and cut passenger routes. China suspended visas to Indian citizens and other foreigners around the same time due to the Covid-19 pandemic but lifted those restrictions in 2022, when it resumed issuing visas for students and business travellers. Tourist visas for Indian nationals remained restricted until March this year, when both countries agreed to resume direct air service. Relations have gradually improved, with several high-level meetings taking place last year, including talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Russia in October. China...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the government was building a safe and business-friendly environment for the Chinese community in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - A high-level Chinese police delegation on Wednesday called on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, with both sides agreeing to enhance collaboration between the police departments of Beijing and Islamabad.

Chinese air force chief Lieutenant General Wang Gang has lauded the “exemplary performance” of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during the Pakistan-India conflict in May. As New Delhi launched deadly air strikes on Pakistan in early May over allegations about the Pahalgam attack, which Islamabad denied, PAF downed six Indian jets in retaliation. After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire. The praise from Lt Gen Gang came as a high-level defence delegation led by him called on PAF’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at Air Headquarters in Islamabad, the military’s media affairs wing said in a press release on Tuesday. “Lauding the professional acumen and strategic foresight of PAF’s leadership, the visiting dignitary paid rich tribute to the exemplary performance of Pakistan Air Force during the recent conflict with India,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated. Gen Wang, chief of the People’s Liberati...

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed on Friday termed “Pakistani talent and Chinese technology an invincible wall” for peace, security and stability in South Asia during a dialogue held in Islamabad. Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China which has supported it through many investments and development projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), termed as a “lifeline” for the country’s economy. The senator’s comment came during a keynote address at the Pakistan-China Dialogue hosted by the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) under the auspices of the “Friends of Silk Road”, according to a statement by the PCI. The event was attended by diplomats, parliamentarians, students and scholars. Mushahid, who serves as the PCI chairman, observed: “The global balance of economic and political power is shifting from West to East, heralding the Asian Century.” He lauded China’s “peaceful rise as a source of strength for developing nations across Asia, Africa and Latin America” and thanked Beijing fo...

The European Union on Friday banned Chinese firms from government medical device purchases worth more than five million euros ($5.8 million) in retaliation for limits Beijing places on access to its own market. The latest salvo in trade tensions between the 27-nation bloc and China covers a wide range of healthcare supplies, from surgical masks to X-ray machines, that represent a market worth 150 billion euros in the EU. “Our aim with these measures is to level the playing field for EU businesses,” the bloc’s trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said. “We remain committed to dialogue with China to resolve these issues.” In response, China accused the EU of “double standards”. “The EU has always boasted that it is the most open market in the world, but in reality, it has gradually moved towards protectionism”, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing. “Under the guise of fair competition (the EU) actually carries out unfair competition, which is a typical case of double standards.” T...

A Chinese post-graduate student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China and suspected of having attacked more was on Thursday jailed for life by a London court. And London police say they have evidence to suggest he could have targeted more than 50 other women. Serial rapist Zhenhao Zou, 28 — described in court as “calculated and predatory” — targeted young Chinese women who he invited to his London flat for drinks or to study before drugging and attacking them. Zou filmed nine of the rapes with hidden or handheld cameras but only two of the 10 victims have ever been identified. Sentencing him at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Rosina Cottage said there was “no doubt that you planned and executed a campaign of rape” that had caused “devastating and long term effects”. To the world, he appeared “well to do, ambitious and charming”, but this was a mask hiding a “sexual predator”, she added. He treated his victims “callously” as “sex toys” for his own gratification and “desire to assert pow...