Pakistan and China Sign $440 Million Pharma Deals

Pakistan and China accelerated their strategic partnership through a series of diplomatic and economic engagements between July 17 and 18, 2026. During the Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical B2B Conference in Islamabad, Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing of nine agreements worth approximately $440 million. These deals focus on pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccine production, and research and development, aiming to reduce Pakistan's 90 percent reliance on imported raw materials and establish the country as a regional export hub for life-saving medicines.

Parallel to the healthcare investments, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Shanghai to expand cooperation into artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and science and technology. These initiatives are central to the acceleration of Phase II of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, known as CPEC 2.0. Throughout these discussions, the Pakistani government emphasized the security of Chinese nationals as a top priority to ensure a stable investment environment.

On July 18, the cooperation expanded to security and immigration. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and a delegation led by Qi Jingyang agreed to create a Joint Working Group on border management and security. This group will combat illegal immigration and smuggling, while both nations work to finalize a bilateral agreement to streamline immigration. To bolster these efforts, Pakistan is establishing a Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts checkpoint at the Khunjerab Pass, and Chinese officials committed to providing specialized training for Pakistani police officers.