The bilateral relations between Pakistan and China have been increasing during the past 7 decades in many aspects, yet the aspect of technology and communication cooperation has been among the flow and revolution. An intricate, multi-tiered partnership between telecommunications, space science, digital facilities, artificial intelligence, and cyber governance has evolved out of what initially began as simple technical interactions. The evolution of Pakistan-China technological relations gives understanding of strategic priorities of both countries and the common interests, because the world order tends to be based on digital power and on the ability to use technologies.
Diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China commenced in 1951 and the minor scientific and technological cooperation began. These were the early programs such as scholarships to carry out scientific research in Chinese universities and training of Pakistani engineers. Radio broadcasting systems, meteorological equipment and simple communication technologies were the primary aspects of cooperation at that time (Hilali, 2005).
The 1960s and 1970s were the years when industrial development and technological cooperation were extremely interconnected. China also assisted in setting up the first engineering and electronic equipment in the country which was in Pakistan through labs and technical institutes. Regardless of its small scale, these actions showed that China was not unwilling to aid the developmental requirements of Pakistan, despite its own financial constraints and was able to build a sustainable base of trust.
Strategic and Industrial Growth
The cooperation in technological matters between the two countries grew more organized as both countries started broadening their strategic and defense-based collaboration in equipment, avionics and electronic technology by the 1980s and this led to an establishment of a connection between the technology in defense and technology in the civilian sector (Tellis, 2011).
The 1900s and early 2000s have seen Chinese businesses enter Pakistan, and especially ZTE and Huawei into the telecom industry. These companies had provided the necessary network infrastructure thereby enabling Pakistan to increase its landline and initial mobile communication systems. The introduction of Chinese telecom equipment allowed Pakistan to increase the tele-density in the country, significantly reduced the cost and increased the accessibility (Khan, 2013).
Space cooperation was also influenced by China. The experience of China served to guide the newly established space program in Pakistan that later led to the launching of communication satellites. Developments led to long-term institutionalized partnerships rather than a transactional one.
Digital Integration and Telecommunication Revolution
The telecommunications sector has thrived in Pakistan in the 2000s and Chinese involvement played a critical role in the transformation. Huawei and ZTE were the suppliers of the backbone of 2G, 3G, and early 4G networks in Pakistan. Cooperation expanded to cover fiber-optic infrastructure, broadband development and manufacture of mobile phones.
In this period of time, the PAKSAT-1R had been successfully launched with the assistance of China a historic achievement. This communication satellite improved the broadcasting, internet, and telecommunication capabilities of Pakistan tremendously (SUPARCO, 2012). Space cooperation supported the technological autonomy of Pakistan and made China the primary provider of the state with the state-of-the-art communication technologies.
Also, collaborative initiatives, research collaborations and internship opportunities in Chinese universities and technology firms trained thousands of engineers and IT experts in Pakistan. With increased use of Chinese technology in Pakistan, it not only modernized the communication system of the country, but also generated manpower having the required expertise to sustain digital development.
Digital Transformation CPEC Strategy Affix: Technology Strategic Pillar
This changed in 2015 when China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was established. CPEC included the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as a strategic aspect of bilateral cooperation, beyond the sphere of energy and infrastructure.
One of the most significant projects was the Pakistan-China Cross-border Optical Fiber Cable that linked Khunjerab and Rawalpindi. Such a high-speed connection enhanced cybersecurity, provided a higher internet redundancy in Pakistan, and dictated the structure of future 5G infrastructure. Through the Digital Silk Road model, it was the integration of Pakistan into the bigger network of the digital and communication of China.
All these were included in the CPEC phase-I: the establishment of science and technology parks, smart city projects in Islamabad, Lahore, and Gwadar, joint operations in fin-tech and e-commerce, and training of digital skills, which were aimed at expanding online services, fin-tech and e-commerce payments, and e-commerce.
Contemporary Phase: High-Tech Integration and Digital Future
The characteristics of the modern and technology-focused era of the tech relationships between Pakistan and China in the 2020s include the use of artificial intelligence, smart governance, cybersecurity, and next-generation connectivity. 5G and emerging networks, automation and artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data centers, space technology, and digital trade and e-commerce are valuable spheres of cooperation.
Having affordable solutions and technical expertise, the Chinese companies can easily support the eventual introduction of the 5G in Pakistan. The existing telecom infrastructure in Pakistan is largely supplied by Huawei and this provides an easy means of integrating state of the art networks.
Future Prospects: Towards a Shared Digital Horizon
There is an increasing number of collaborative AI initiatives in the agricultural context, healthcare, security, and traffic management. Research centers which focus on automation, robotics and machine learning are in the rise with bilateral agreements. China is also assisting in setting up cybersecurity systems and cloud computing that are vital in supporting the e-government and digital sovereignty projects in Pakistan.
This can be followed by further developments of satellite development, climate monitoring and space educations besides earth observation and remote sensing in the future. Websites such as Temu and Alibaba have already included Pakistani vendors in their international supply chains. It is expected that digital payment and modern logistics partnerships will increase.
Due to the complementary nature of their skills, common economic interests, and geopolitical orientation, the technical cooperation between Pakistan and China appears to have a brilliant future. The geographical position of Pakistan and young and tech-savvy citizens place it in a good position to emerge as a regional digital hub within the Digital Silk Road by China.
China may invest in the research center, chip packing and production of electronics in Pakistan. The two countries will most likely strengthen collaborative cybersecurity operations and digital governance systems as cyber threats continue to grow. The urban digitalization experience in China would assist Pakistan in becoming resource-efficient, managing services to the people, and transportation. SEZs, CPEC and industrial parks may develop into the production hubs of software, electronics and ICT equipment.
Conclusion
Since the nature of the basic interchange is the main basis of the relationships between the two countries, Pakistan-China relations in the sphere of technology and communication have been developing in a gradual manner. The partnership will continue to expand as the world becomes digitalized in terms of governance and economies powered by AI. Pakistan and China are willing to establish a future that is innovative, connected, and resilient in technology provided they possess good political will and shared economic goals.
Participant of ICSF-UoS Fellowship Program 2025-26 at University of Sargodha.
