Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah met the top leadership of China's Hubei province in Wuhan on Wednesday, seeking wider cooperation between the two provinces in agriculture, information technology, education and vocational training. The visit by a high-level Sindh delegation was held in the 75th year of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties. Both sides framed the talks as a step toward deeper Sindh-Hubei cooperation at the provincial level.
Talks focused on the next phase of CPEC
The chief minister held talks with Hubei Governor Li Dianxun and provincial Communist Party Secretary Guan Xiaotao. According to a press release issued by the Sindh CM House, the governor described Pakistan-China friendship as a bond of mutual trust and strategic cooperation. He said Hubei's industrial base, advanced manufacturing and research institutions could support joint ventures with Sindh.
The governor said Hubei wanted to expand work in modern agriculture, digital industries, vocational training and business-to-business partnerships. These plans were linked to the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a set of infrastructure and investment projects between the two countries. Murad Ali Shah said the relationship had come through regional and global challenges. He noted that Pakistan was among the first countries to recognise the People's Republic of China, and that formal diplomatic ties began on May 21, 1951.
Agriculture and skills take centre stage
Agriculture was the main focus of the discussions. The chief minister thanked China for training 1,000 Pakistani agricultural graduates, many of whom studied at Huazhong Agricultural University. He welcomed continued work on horticultural crop research and the setting up of a joint laboratory for smart and digital agriculture.
Murad Ali Shah asked Hubei for expertise in hybrid rice, high-yield seed development and farm mechanisation. He also stressed the need for cold-chain logistics, meaning temperature-controlled storage and transport, to reduce post-harvest losses. He named Sindh's fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy and fisheries as sectors that would gain better access to markets.
Tech, universities and investment proposals
To support innovation, the chief minister proposed linking tech incubators and investors in Wuhan with startups in Sindh through joint incubation programmes. He invited Chinese companies to invest in pilot projects in port logistics, industrial automation and urban traffic management in Karachi. In education, he called for closer university links in engineering and digital technologies, along with joint technical and vocational training, known as TVET, for modern manufacturing.
The report did not mention any signed agreements, budgets or completion dates for these projects. Both sides said they were confident the enhanced engagement would strengthen the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. Further steps on the proposals have not been announced in the source material.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sindh ke Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah ne Wuhan mein Hubei ke rehnuma logon se mulaqat ki aur dono soobon ke darmiyan taawun barhane par baat ki. Zyada tar guftugu zara'at, tech aur hunarmandi ki training par hui. Abhi naye fees ya qeematon ka elaan nahi hua, lekin kisanon, talba aur naujawanon ke liye mauqe ban sakte hain. Yeh abhi tajveez hain, aur inka asar waqt ke saath dekha jayega.
