KARACHI: Pakistan is in discussions with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), the world’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, over potential investment and cooperation in advanced battery technologies, Pakistan’s ambassador to Beijing has said, as Islamabad seeks to attract industrial investment under the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
According to the ambassador, Pakistan is actively engaging with CATL on opportunities in lithium-ion and emerging sodium-based battery technologies, as part of broader efforts to position the country as a regional hub for manufacturing, energy storage, and industrial production.
China remains Pakistan’s largest strategic and economic partner, with cooperation deepening under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the flagship initiative of China’s Belt and Road framework launched in 2015. While the first phase of CPEC focused on power generation, roads, and transport infrastructure, the second phase is increasingly oriented toward industrial cooperation, technology transfer, agriculture, special economic zones, and manufacturing.
Pakistan has recently intensified efforts to attract Chinese private-sector investment as it works to stabilise its economy under IMF-supported reforms and shift toward export-led industrial growth.
Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, speaking during a meeting with a Chinese business delegation at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Pakistan and China have made significant progress in bilateral economic cooperation, with more than 300 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and over three dozen joint venture agreements signed in the past two years, collectively valued at over $13 billion.
He confirmed that Pakistan is “currently engaged in active discussions with CATL,” describing the company as a global leader in advanced battery manufacturing.
According to a statement from the Karachi Chamber, Hashmi expressed optimism that concrete investment developments could emerge during the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to China.
Global demand for EV batteries and energy storage systems has surged as countries accelerate the transition toward electric mobility and renewable energy integration. CATL supplies leading global automakers including Tesla, BMW, Volkswagen, and Ford.
Pakistan is increasingly seeking to attract investment in battery manufacturing and mineral processing, particularly as global supply chains shift toward critical materials for electric vehicles and clean energy storage.
The ambassador noted that the global industry is gradually evolving from traditional lithium-ion systems toward sodium-based technologies, adding that Pakistan possesses “abundant raw materials required for such industries.”
He said Pakistan aims to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the sector and is working to attract early-stage investment in advanced battery manufacturing and new energy technologies.
Hashmi also highlighted that Pakistan has introduced mechanisms to improve the implementation of Chinese investment agreements, adding that nearly 30 percent of signed MoUs are now being converted into operational business ventures.
