Islamabad, Jan 4: Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz has welcomed a significant $700 million investment from China in Punjab, aimed at fostering technological advancements and economic growth in the region. The CM met with a high-level Chinese delegation, including Chengdu General Coordinator for ICT Hub Scarlett and Deputy CEO of Huawei, Yu Ray, on Friday to discuss the details of the investment.
The investment includes the launch of an e-taxi service in collaboration with Chengdu, alongside the establishment of a state-of-the-art “Computing Centre” in Lahore’s Nawaz Sharif IT City. A key agreement made during the meeting was the creation of a data and cloud center in the IT City, with the Punjab government providing the necessary land and infrastructure for the project.
Additionally, a groundbreaking e-commerce platform will be introduced in Pakistan for the first time, with Chinese companies providing training to Pakistani youth for online trading in global markets. The partnership will also lead to the establishment of several smart systems in Lahore, including smart traffic control, transport, and sanitation centers, enhancing the city’s infrastructure with Chinese technology.
As part of the collaboration, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Industry Centre will be established in a second phase, allowing young Pakistanis to engage with cutting-edge AI technology. The Chinese government will also assist in building platform service capacities in Punjab, as well as supporting local investments for industrial development in phase three of the initiative.
In her remarks, CM Maryam Nawaz emphasized the goal of making Punjab a leading center for artificial intelligence, with the support of China. She expressed optimism that Punjab will soon become an IT hub in the region, with the youth excelling in the rapidly advancing IT sector.
