By Zafar Hussain

BEIJING, Dec. 23 (China Economic Net) - The Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing hosted "TVET Forum 2025: Fostering Skills and Talent in Agriculture through Academia–Industry Linkages" on Tuesday, bringing together Pakistani and Chinese officials, vocational education institutions, and enterprises to strengthen cooperation on agricultural skills development under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.

In his remarks, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, underlined the importance of human capital for agricultural modernization and welcomed deeper engagement between Chinese TVET institutions and Pakistan’s industry needs. Speakers said the two sides aim to develop market-oriented training pathways covering key agricultural sub-sectors such as food processing and value addition, livestock and dairy, fisheries, cold chain logistics, fruits and vegetables, and food packaging - areas where stronger skills can help address challenges including climate stress, water constraints, and post-harvest losses.

Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, noted that China’s experience in vocational education and training offers a practical model, while Pakistan seeks to close skills gaps that affect productivity, mechanization, and technology adoption.

Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, emphasized the need for a trained workforce to support agri-technology, value chain development, and food processing, and described Chinese TVET institutions as important partners for collaborative programs.

Organizers said Pakistan will host a business-to-business agriculture investment conference in Islamabad on Jan. 19 to convert discussions into concrete cooperation outcomes.