China and Pakistan are poised to enter a new phase of economic and trade cooperation, with Beijing seeking to deepen collaboration with Punjab in agriculture, industrial development, digital economy, green and clean energy, vocational training, cross-border e-commerce, and emerging technologies, Chinese Consul General in Lahore Sun Yan said on Friday.

Addressing the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Sun said the two countries would work towards the high-quality development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 2.0 while expanding bilateral cooperation into new areas to create employment, strengthen industrial and supply chains, and provide Pakistani businesses with greater access to the Chinese market.

He said the GCCI had played an important role as an economic leader and in promoting cross-regional coordination, and expressed appreciation for its tireless efforts to promote China-Pakistan economic and trade cooperation. Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China in May, Sun said the visit had been historic and marked a new milestone in bilateral relations.

Turning to economic cooperation, Sun said China and Pakistan would advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and promote the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0. He announced that China would provide 3,000 vocational training opportunities for Pakistani professionals between 2025 and 2029, describing skills development and human-resource cooperation as another important component of bilateral ties.