Pakistan, China roll out e-mining platform to attract $10bn in mineral investment

Pakistan and China have introduced a new “Pak-China E-Mining Platform” aimed at modernising how mineral projects are identified, evaluated, and developed, while seeking to unlock up to $10 billion in investment across the sector.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the bilateral partnership is moving beyond infrastructure and toward a phase focused on production, exports, jobs, and long-term sustainability. He argued that stronger trade performance—especially through deeper engagement with China—could relieve chronic foreign-exchange pressure and help the country reduce reliance on repeated IMF support.

Iqbal projected that Pakistan’s exports to China could expand sharply over the next decade, describing a pathway to lift trade from roughly $3 billion to as much as $50 billion by 2035. He linked that ambition to a broader economic plan built around five priority areas: exports, a digital and knowledge-driven economy, climate and environment, energy and infrastructure, and governance principles focused on inclusion and ethics.

He also said Pakistan recently formalised closer alignment with China’s longer-term development agenda through a memorandum of understanding that connects Pakistan’s domestic reform and export strategy with China’s growth corridor planning under the Belt and Road framework. Officials described the approach as a way to better synchronise planning, investment, and execution.

At the mineral cooperation forum where the platform was launched, Pakistan invited Chinese firms to explore investment in copper, gold, rare earths, and other strategic minerals. Iqbal emphasised that mining expansion should be environmentally responsible and should deliver tangible benefits to resource-rich provinces such as Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through employment and improved social services.

He added that the security of Chinese citizens and investments remains a top priority and said protective measures are being pursued under the Special Investment Facilitation Council framework.

Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong reiterated Beijing’s interest in Pakistan’s mining sector, stressing capacity-building, technology transfer, sustainability, and adherence to international construction standards. The forum drew wide participation from both countries, with officials highlighting past projects as proof of long-term cooperation and pointing to the new platform as a step toward greater transparency, efficiency, and coordination in mineral development.