Islamabad (People's Daily) — Nearly 1,500 people packed into Islamabad on Friday for the opening of a two-day Pakistan-China B2B investment conference – 160 Chinese companies and 340 Pakistani businesses, all circling the same prize: a bigger, more self-sufficient pharmaceutical industry for Pakistan.

Representatives from China and Pakistan companies discuss business during the B2B event. (Photo: Zhao Yipu/People's Daily)

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the opening ceremony that the conference would be great in terms of promoting the Pakistani pharmaceutical industry and would eventually lead to the manufacturing of life-saving medicines, vaccines, research and development and exports to neighboring countries.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks at the opening ceremony on Friday in Islamabad. (Photo provided to People's Daily)

The event pairs leading Pakistani pharmaceutical, health care and biotechnology companies with Chinese investors, manufacturers, technology providers and industry leaders, and was organized by the Pakistani Special Investment Facilitation Council, Pakistan's health ministry and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan to promote investment, innovation and strategic partnerships across the pharmaceutical, healthcare and biotechnology sectors.

Representatives from China and Pakistan companies discuss business during the B2B event. (Photo: Zhao Yipu/People's Daily)

Over the two days, delegates will move through structured B2B meetings, networking sessions and investment discussions aimed at fostering joint ventures, technology transfer, contract manufacturing, research collaboration and production partnerships close to home.