BEIJING – Pakistan has announced plans to collaborate with China on the development of sodium-ion battery technology for electric vehicles (EVs), identifying the innovation as a strategic priority in bilateral cooperation.
Speaking at a press conference at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said the country is eager to work with Chinese industry leaders to advance EV manufacturing and battery technology.
“EVs have become a very important segment,” Iqbal said. “Pakistan is keen to benefit from China’s advances in this field, particularly in sodium-ion batteries, which offer promising alternatives to lithium-ion technology.”
He announced that the upcoming Pakistan-China Business Conference, scheduled for September 4 in China, will serve as a major platform to connect more than 250 Pakistani companies with over 200 Chinese firms. The event will focus on collaborations in electric vehicles, solar energy, chemicals, and agriculture.
Iqbal stressed that Chinese firms could gain significantly by investing in EV manufacturing in Pakistan, which offers cost advantages, tax incentives, and access to a growing domestic market under the National Electric Vehicle Policy 2025–2030. The policy targets converting 30% of all new vehicle sales to electric by 2030 and achieving net-zero transport emissions by 2060.
Chinese automakers including BYD and Chery are already active in Pakistan, assembling EVs, building charging networks, and exploring joint ventures.
