Pakistan seeks deeper AI cooperation with China

Pakistan's Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi has said that Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, available at scale and competitive prices, could bring broad benefits to developing countries and open new avenues for cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing.

Speaking in an interview with China Economic Net (CEN) on the sidelines of China's ongoing "Two Sessions", Hashmi said China's progress in AI is rooted in indigenous innovation and technological creativity.

He noted that China has emerged as a major global force in the field of artificial intelligence. According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, China was the world's largest source of patent filings in 2024. Data from Stanford HAI's 2025 AI Index also shows that China accounted for 69.7% of global AI patent grants in 2023.

Hashmi said the ongoing global competition among Chinese, American and other AI models should be viewed as a positive development. He said such competition has the potential to improve the quality of research standards, strengthen human resource capabilities and contribute to economic growth across countries.

He described artificial intelligence as a cross-cutting technology with applications across several sectors including education, agriculture, transportation and sustainable development.

Highlighting areas of potential cooperation, the ambassador said medical AI, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology are among the key sectors where Pakistan and China could expand collaboration.

According to Hashmi, joint research and development in these areas could help improve access to affordable diagnostic and therapeutic tools in developing countries. Pakistan's population exceeded 255 million in 2025, according to data from the United Nations Population Fund.

He said cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese institutions could help address healthcare challenges by promoting technological innovation and medical research.

In November 2025, doctors at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS)carried out Islamabad's first robotic adrenalectomy using China's Toumai surgical robot, according to Pakistani media reports.

Hashmi said the development demonstrated the potential for advanced medical technologies to support healthcare systems.

"I think the potential is great," he said, adding that Pakistani doctors and researchers should work more closely with their Chinese counterparts to develop AI-based solutions aimed at addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.

The ambassador also highlighted ongoing efforts to expand cooperation in agricultural technology.

He said Pakistan and China are working on establishing a joint laboratory focused on smart and digital agriculture.

The initiative aims to promote the use of artificial intelligence to improve productivity in key agricultural sectors including crops, livestock, fruits and vegetables. AI could also support improvements in cold chain logistics and agricultural supply management.

Hashmi said Pakistan is keen to deploy AI technologies in agriculture to enhance productivity and strengthen food systems.

He noted that in January 2026 the Pakistan-China B2B Agriculture Investment Conference resulted in nearly 80 memorandums of understanding and agreements worth about $4.5 billion between companies from the two countries.

According to the ambassador, cooperation in agriculture is expanding across multiple areas including education, research and development, commercialisation and business partnerships.