Agricultural cooperation under CPEC
China has always maintained openness and worked with other countries to enhance agricultural technology, share agricultural product markets and development experiences.
This was said by Minister and Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Mr. Shi Yuanqiang while addressing the China-Pakistan High-Quality Agricultural Cooperation Development Forum Held in Islamabad here Thursday. Hosted by the China Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan (CCCPK), the forum aimed to strengthen agricultural industrial cooperation between China and Pakistan and promote agricultural modernization under the CPEC framework.
The forum featured opening remarks by Mr. Wang Huihua, President of CCCPK.
Key speeches were delivered by Minister and Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan Mr. Shi Yuanqiang and Federal Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry.
Head of Programme at FAO Pakistan, Mrs. Amina Bajwa also spoke on the occasion. Mr. Shi Yuanqiang while commending the China Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan and its Agricultural Branch for their meticulous efforts in hosting this event thanked all relevant Pakistani departments for their strong support.
He noted with satisfaction that over the past three years, nine new protocols for the Pakistani agricultural exports to China have been signed, supporting bilateral agricultural trade of over $1 billion annually, with Pakistan continuously maintaining a trade surplus.
We witnessed Pakistan’s first exports of heat-treated beef, fresh cherries, and frozen buffalo embryos to China, he said.
Last February, the first batch of high-value-added buffalo dairy products arrived in China and by the end of June, 655 tons of them had been exported to China. In the first five months of this year, the agricultural trade volume between China and Pakistan reached US$390 million, a year-on-year increase of 27pc.
Among them, sesame exports to China exceeded US$50 million, a year-on-year increase of 33pc, becoming the largest single agricultural product of Pakistan exported to China, the DCM said.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has promoted high-level opening up to the outside world, and the integration of Chinese agriculture with the world’s agricultural development has been accelerated, said the DCM adding China’s foreign trade in agricultural products grows rapidly, with its structure continuously optimized.
China’s cooperation of agricultural science and technology with other countries also develops comprehensively, he said.
We have a lot close cooperation with FAO and other international organizations and the Chinese agricultural foreign aid is widely acclaimed, he said. The mechanism of agricultural cooperation has been improved, effectively serving the development of regional and world agriculture.
“As global food security and sustainable agricultural development are facing various challenges like climate change, resource scarcity, and regional conflicts, it is imperative for us to deepen international cooperation to promote agricultural development,” he said. China has always maintained openness and worked with other countries to enhance agricultural technology, share agricultural product markets and development experiences. high-level opening up to the outside world, and the integration of Chinese agriculture with the world’s agricultural development has been accelerated, he remarked.
While expressing the Pakistan government’s resolve for sustainable cooperation in agriculture, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry said the Ministry of National Food Security and Research remained committed to supporting all private sector stakeholders, whether Chinese or Pakistani. “We will work closely to address challenges, streamline regulations, and facilitate investments, because we believe that public-private partnerships are essential to modernizing agriculture and ensuring food security for the future,” he assured.
Pakistan and China, Ajmal said enjoyed a profound and time-tested relationship, strengthened by mutual trust, shared aspirations, and civilizational depth. Speaking on the occasion, Head of Programme at FAO Pakistan Mrs. Amina Bajwa said uch initiatives reflected our shared commitment to innovation, technology transfer, and sustainable farming systems. Importantly, they also demonstrate the power of cooperation—not just between governments, but between private enterprises, researchers, and local communities. Fauji Vertical’s Lt Gen Ali Amir Awan praised the achievements of China-Pakistan agricultural cooperation and expressed hope for its continued advancement.
