The establishment of the “China-Pakistan Science & Technology Cooperation Center” in Beijing by the Pakistani Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) and the Chinese Zhongguancun Belt and Road Industrial Promotion Association (ZBRA) is a significant step toward enhancing bilateral cooperation in science and technology (S&T).More than 3,000 Chinese technology enterprises virtually joined the opening ceremony of the centre, which was hosted at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing.
During the recent visit of PM Shehbaz Sharif to China, the technology sector has emerged as a pillar of China-Pakistan cooperation, as evidenced by the creation of the S&T Joint Working Group and the Information Technology Joint Working Group under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, according to remarks made at the event by Pakistan’s ambassador to China, Moin-ul-Haque (CPEC).
The president of ZBRA, Zhang Xiaodong, made the following statement during the event: “Taking the centre as a platform, we will mobilise all parties in China and Pakistan, especially high-tech firms and institutions, to develop and allocate resources for science and technology cooperation.”
A delegation of Chinese S&T companies will visit Pakistan the next year to look at potential opportunities, he added. The Director of Strategic Planning & Regulatory Affairs (STZA), Hamza Saeed Orakzai, described the S&T centre as a “liaison office for Chinese enterprises” and noted that in addition to fostering S&T innovations, inter-personal and student-to-student cooperation networks, the centre will be built to create a business-to-business platform for the transfer of technology and fostering international investments.
