Islamabad (People's Daily) - Pakistan on Wednesday launched the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters in Islamabad, an integrated platform under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) focused on trade facilitation, supply chain digitization, and SME empowerment.

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar speaks at the launch ceremony. (Photo: Zhao Yipu/People's Daily)

While formally launching the initiative, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar hailed it as a transformative milestone in the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Partnership, a powerful symbol of the enduring Pakistan-China partnership and a new chapter in digital collaboration.

Highlighting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's vision to establish Pakistan as a regional hub for digital innovation, Dar said that the Pakistan-China partnership has been transitioning from physical infrastructure such as the Karakoram Highway and CPEC energy projects toward intelligent infrastructure, AI, information and communications technology, and digital connectivity.

Chinese company IBI mainly operates a leading B2B E-commerce and Industrial Internet platform, providing online commodity trading in industrial products and raw materials, as well as business information and digital technology services for related industries. In 2024, IBI started comprehensive cooperation with Pakistan.