By Zafar Hussain

BEIJING, Jul 18 (China Economic Net) – Pharmaceutical companies from Pakistan and China signed nine agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) valued at over $440 million on Friday, covering local vaccine production, biotechnology, drug manufacturing, technology transfer and hepatitis prevention.

A separate cooperation agreement supporting Pakistan's national immunization program was also concluded at the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on Pharmaceutical, Healthcare and Biotechnology, held in Islamabad and witnessed by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong.

The conference was the culmination of nearly two months of structured business matchmaking. Following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent visit to China, officials from Pakistan's Ministry of National Health Services, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing pre-mapped and paired companies from both sides, with firms entering consultations weeks before arriving at the table.

More than 450 companies participated in the B2B conference, including over 300 Pakistani pharmaceutical, healthcare and biotechnology firms and around 150 Chinese companies represented by nearly 180 delegates. The venue featured reserved bilateral meeting rooms and dedicated MoU facilitation desks to convert discussions into signed commitments on the spot.

Pakistanis diplomats mentioned that cooperation was structured around seven priority investment areas backed by data-driven pitch books: Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to reduce Pakistan's reliance on imported raw materials; biotechnology products and human and veterinary vaccines, leveraging Pakistan's newly approved National Vaccine Policy; medical devices; specialized generic formulations and injectables; clinical trials and research; and traditional herbal and nutraceutical products.

The emphasis throughout was on commercially viable joint ventures, contract manufacturing arrangements and deep technology transfer rather than one-off trade deals -- a model both sides see as the engine of the next phase of industrial cooperation under CPEC 2.0.

Jobs, market access and a growing pipeline

Ambassador Jiang Zaidong said ongoing joint projects are expected to generate more than 20,000 jobs in Pakistan, and noted that 29 Pakistani pharmaceutical products have already entered the Chinese market. He said the Chinese Embassy would continue serving as a bridge for enterprises of both countries, while urging Chinese firms to strictly comply with Pakistan's regulatory standards.

The momentum extends well beyond Friday's signings. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan said Chinese investors are preparing a pipeline of some 700 agreements in Pakistan, adding that Islamabad is reforming its National Industrial and Tariff Policies to build an investor-friendly, competitive environment for Chinese technology and manufacturing investment.

The two-day conference was jointly organized by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, DRAP, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the Board of Investment, with diplomatic coordination by the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing.