ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have launched a joint digital “e-mining platform” and signed multiple memorandums of understanding to deepen cooperation in the mineral sector, Pakistani officials said on Wednesday, as Islamabad steps up efforts to attract foreign investment and develop its vast but underutilised mineral resources.
The announcements were made at the Pak–China Mineral Cooperation Forum in Islamabad on Wednesday, where Pakistani officials outlined plans to move beyond raw extraction toward value-added mining, processing, and export-oriented development, while Chinese firms explored opportunities across the mineral value chain.
Pakistan possesses significant deposits of copper, gold, coal, and other critical minerals, yet much of this resource base has remained untapped for decades due to regulatory uncertainty, infrastructure gaps, security concerns, and limited downstream processing capacity.
Successive governments have identified mining as a potential driver of long-term growth and foreign exchange earnings, particularly amid rising global demand for minerals linked to the energy transition.
The Reko Diq copper-and-gold project in Balochistan, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper deposits, is a flagship initiative, with Islamabad viewing it as a test case to restore investor confidence after years of legal disputes.
According to Pakistan’s Information Ministry, the Pak–China E-Mining Platform is a digital initiative designed to improve information sharing, project connectivity, and cooperation between Pakistani authorities and Chinese enterprises. The platform aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and collaboration in mineral sector development.
The forum attracted more than 70 Chinese companies, over 100 Pakistani firms, and around 800 participants, reflecting growing interest in Pakistan’s minerals sector as regulatory frameworks are streamlined and federal-provincial coordination improves.
Among the agreements signed were:
- A framework to explore digital cross-border industrial trade between Pakistani and Chinese companies.
- An MoU between the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), POWERCHINA International, and Pak China Investment Company Limited, focusing on investment facilitation, technical cooperation, and joint mineral development.
Pakistan’s Minister for Petroleum, Ali Pervaiz Malik, emphasized the government’s commitment to responsible and value-added mineral development, aligned with international standards, citing existing joint ventures such as the Saindak copper-gold project and the Duddar lead-zinc mine as examples of long-term China-Pakistan cooperation.
Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong highlighted Beijing’s interest in expanding investment, technology transfer, workforce training, and sustainable mining practices, noting Saindak’s role in training thousands of local workers.
