A high-level meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office between Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan and Shi Yuanqiang, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, to discuss further strengthening Pakistan–China cooperation in youth development, education, skills, employment, technology, innovation, research and youth exchanges.
Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan warmly welcomed Shi Yuanqiang and the Chinese delegation to the meeting.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, Dr. Muhammad Ali Malik, Joint Secretary, along with other senior officers.
During the meeting, Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan highlighted the strong interest among Pakistani youth in pursuing higher education at Chinese universities. He proposed exploring the organization of a dedicated Chinese Universities Education Expo in Pakistan, where Chinese universities could directly engage with Pakistani students, showcase their academic programmes and scholarships, and provide information about admission opportunities. He noted that the initiative could serve as an education-focused platform similar to a job fair, bringing universities and prospective students together at one place.
The Chairman emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening the longstanding Pakistan–China “iron brother” relationship, with particular emphasis on people-to-people and youth-to-youth engagement. He highlighted the importance of expanding exchanges in culture, technology, research, education and skills development to create meaningful opportunities for young people.
Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan also shared that PMYP Secretariats have been established in China, reflecting growing institutional engagement between the two countries in the youth sector.
The Chairman expressed appreciation to the Government and people of China for their continued support to Pakistan and acknowledged the role of China’s advanced technology and capabilities in supporting Pakistan and strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Highlighting growing cooperation in the space sector, Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan noted that Pakistan’s first astronaut is expected to join China’s space station by the end of this year, which would represent another significant milestone in Pakistan–China cooperation in science, technology and space.
Shi Yuanqiang emphasized the unique and longstanding nature of Pakistan–China relations, describing the two countries as “iron brothers.” He stressed the importance of expanding youth exchanges in culture, technology, research and other areas to promote greater interaction, mutual understanding and collaboration between young people of the two countries.
Shi Yuanqiang also highly appreciated the Digital Youth Hub (DYH) initiative of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, particularly its role in bringing diverse opportunities for young people together on a single platform and facilitating their access to information and opportunities.
He observed that the Digital Youth Hub provides a comprehensive and centralized mechanism for connecting young people with diverse opportunities at one place. He commended PMYP for developing an innovative platform that engages, connects and empowers youth.
The Chinese side also expressed interest in exploring greater engagement of Chinese universities, companies, development organizations and private-sector partners with the Digital Youth Hub, which could further expand the opportunities available to Pakistani youth.
Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan briefed the Chinese delegation on the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme’s flagship initiatives under the 4Es Framework — Education, Employment, Engagement and Environment. These include the Prime Minister’s Youth Skills Development Programme, Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Scheme, Prime Minister’s Youth Business & Agriculture Loan Scheme, Prime Minister’s National Innovation Award, Prime Minister’s National Volunteer Corps, Digital Youth Hub, Talent Hunt & Youth Sports League and Green Youth Movement.
The Chairman emphasized the importance of collaboration on Pakistan’s National Youth Employment Policy, particularly to expand employment, skills, entrepreneurship and international opportunities for Pakistani youth. He proposed exploring a structured mechanism with the Chinese Embassy to identify relevant opportunities through Chinese institutions, universities, companies, development organizations and other stakeholders.
Joint Secretary PMYP Dr. Muhammad Ali Malik said that the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme would seek to work closely with the Chinese government on the National Youth Employment Policy and explore areas where cooperation could contribute to employment, skills development and professional opportunities for Pakistani youth.
As a way forward, it was proposed that focal persons from both sides may be designated to maintain regular communication, facilitate coordination and identify concrete areas of collaboration. The two sides may subsequently work towards developing a framework of cooperation with the Embassy of China on the National Youth Employment Policy and broader youth employment opportunities.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen Pakistan–China cooperation in the youth sector and translate the longstanding friendship between the two countries into practical and meaningful opportunities for young people.
