China’s trade with Belt and Road partner countries now accounts for more than half of its total foreign trade — and that matters for Pakistan.
Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said on Tuesday at a Belt and Road investment forum during the ongoing China International Supply Chain Expo that China’s goods trade with Belt and Road countries reached 8.28 trillion yuan in the first four months of 2026, up 13.5% year on year.
That was about 51% of China’s total foreign trade, based on China’s total goods trade of 16.23 trillion yuan during the same period.
For Pakistan, this is not just a distant trade statistic. Pakistan is one of the earliest and most important Belt and Road partners through CPEC, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The data shows that Belt and Road is no longer only about roads, ports and power plants. It is becoming a larger trade, investment and logistics network connecting China with Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Ren also said China’s non-financial direct investment in Belt and Road countries reached $39.67 billion in 2025, up 17.6%, while China-Europe freight trains have made more than 130,000 trips, carrying goods worth more than $520 billion.
The next phase, he said, may focus more on green development, AI, digital trade, smart logistics, digital ports and cross-border data flows.
For Pakistan, the key question is: can CPEC move from infrastructure to industry, exports, technology and jobs?
