Islamabad: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz continued her official visit to China with a pivotal stop at Huawei Technologies in Shanghai’s Longgang District on Friday. The CM was warmly received by Huawei officials, where she announced a strategic partnership with the company aimed at transforming Lahore into Pakistan’s first state-of-the-art smart city.
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During her visit, CM Maryam Nawaz invited Huawei to invest in Pakistan, particularly in the Punjab region, and offered full support for the establishment of Huawei’s office in the Nawaz Sharif IT City. The CM expressed her enthusiasm about leveraging Huawei’s expertise in telecommunications, electronics, and digital innovation to drive Punjab’s technological progress.
“We are eager to collaborate with Huawei in advancing Punjab’s digital transformation. Their cutting-edge technology will be integral in creating a smarter, more efficient Lahore,” said Maryam Nawaz, emphasizing the importance of partnerships that focus on innovation.
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The CM also proposed that Huawei set up manufacturing plants, retail offices, and after-sales service centers in Punjab, ensuring the availability of their products and services across the province. During discussions with Huawei’s President for Government Affairs, Wang Chengdong, the two sides explored potential collaborations in various sectors, including e-commerce, ecosystem development, and the digitization of health and education systems in Punjab.
Huawei’s successful collaborations in Pakistan, such as the Safe City initiatives in Lahore, were highlighted during the talks, with the CM expressing a keen interest in furthering such projects. She emphasized the importance of empowering Punjab’s youth with access to advanced digital technologies and proposed that Huawei assist in capacity-building initiatives, including IT research at Punjab’s first AI-powered university.
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CM Maryam Nawaz reaffirmed her commitment to the vision of a Digital Punjab, underscoring the crucial role that global partnerships with industry leaders like Huawei will play in achieving this goal.
The visit concluded with the CM touring Huawei’s facilities and exploring additional opportunities for collaboration, ensuring that Lahore’s journey toward becoming a hub of technological innovation and progress continues to move forward.