Pakistan and China have signed 24 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in information technology and digital development under the Joint Working Group on IT Cooperation. The agreements were signed in Beijing and include one government-to-government, seven government-to-business, and 16 business-to-business MoUs.
According to official documents, the initiative aims to establish an innovative digital corridor that expands opportunities for Pakistani technology firms while enhancing collaboration in ICT infrastructure, including fiber optic connectivity, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and human resource development. The framework is designed to improve digital connectivity, skills development, and technology exports.
Pakistan’s Ministry of IT and Telecom is pursuing multiple international partnerships to train up to 300,000 young people in advanced digital skills, promote artificial intelligence adoption, and strengthen the country’s IT export capacity. A major component is a skills development partnership with Huawei, focused on training youth in AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity through collaboration with Pakistani academic institutions.
The documents also outline cooperation with Google on AI training for government officials as part of a broader national AI initiative spanning schools, universities, and vocational institutions. The goal is to integrate AI across public-sector functions such as governance, healthcare, and the judiciary.
Additional initiatives include collaboration with the Asian Development Bank through Ignite to develop applied AI use cases in sectors such as EdTech, HealthTech, AgriTech, FinTech, ClimateTech, and GovTech. A nationwide ICT training program with ZTE is also planned, targeting 100,000 trainees and potentially establishing ZTE’s eighth global training center in Pakistan.
The agreements further reference World Bank–supported digital public infrastructure projects, expanded cybersecurity cooperation through PKCERT, and wider international engagements with countries including Azerbaijan, Iran, the UAE, and China. Together, these efforts are intended to strengthen Pakistan’s digital skills base, expand global partnerships, and accelerate national digital transformation.
