Since 1947, Pakistan has built a relationship with China grounded in trust, mutual interest, and strategic vision. Now their decades-old partnership has entered a new transformative era with the launch of CPEC 2.0. This time, China and Pakistan have centered their deep-rooted partnership on development, innovation, and connectivity with the rising force: Pakistani youth. Often sidelined in policy discourse, the youth of Pakistan has a growing and undeniable role in leading the China-Pakistan dream through skills, innovation, and cultural exchange. This perspective, despite being overlooked by the analysts and researchers, holds enormous value.
Pakistan has one of the youngest populations in South Asia, as more than 60% of Pakistanis are under 30. These young people, as active participants, are playing an important role in building the long-term success of China-Pakistan cooperation, i.e., CPEC. Under CPEC, the youth of Pakistan are embracing opportunities in the form of education, skills training, and technological collaboration not only as recipients but also as contributors to a shared future.
Skill Development
China is a key investor in Pakistan’s human capital, helping Pakistan upgrade and transform its economy. In Sahiwal, for instance, the Huaneng Pakistan Vocational & Technical College was established with China’s support of around ¥26 million so that the youth of Pakistan can learn the relevant skills for the industrial landscape. The institute trained more than 6,000 young Pakistanis, with approximately 200 engineers in sectors such as energy, maintenance, and management. Advanced fields such as artificial intelligence, mechatronics, and port managementthat are central to the evolving ecosystem of CPEC are now within the reach of Pakistanis.
Meanwhile, both countries have also been collaborating with each other through short-term vocational training initiatives. Through those free programs, more than 400 young participants learned the use of computer applications, electrical systems, and welding. Many of them earned accolades in the “Huaneng Craftsman Cup,” outlining the effectiveness of China-Pakistan vocational collaboration.
Industrial Empowerment
The industrial front tells a similar story. China is deeply committed to the industrial empowerment of the youth, which is quite evident in the job market. In June 2025, a China-Pakistan job fair, organized by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan and the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) in Islamabad, offered over 500 job opportunities across diverse sectors, including construction, telecommunications, and renewable energy. The event brought thousands of students together, demanding skill-based work.
To date, the Chinese enterprises under CPEC have hired more than 30,000 workers. Many of those workers have been promoted now from support roles to managerial and technical positions. Digital collaboration and innovation are accelerating, too. Huawei’s ICT training project trained 300,000 Pakistani youth (60,000 in advanced digital skills and 240,000 in basic IT literacy) to enhance their digital literacy and to bridge the digital divide.
Cultural and Educational Exchange
Beyond infrastructure and industry, the China-Pakistan story is unfolding in classrooms. The interest of youth in learning Mandarin and their culture has been growing rapidly. In institutes like the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and the University of Lahore, more than 25,000 Pakistani students are currently studying Mandarin, supported by Confucius Institutes.
NED University in Karachi has gone further by making Chinese a mandatory subject for all first-year students. The initiative of the CPEC Consortium of Universities (2017) has 18 members and now includes over 110 institutions from China and Pakistan. This serves as a prime example of joint research, student exchange, and cross-cultural understanding.
In addition to that, more than 20,000 Pakistani students have graduated from Chinese universities in recent years. Those graduates have returned with not only degrees but also advanced knowledge of technology, diplomacy, and global development.
Towards a Shared Future
A 2024 survey conducted by the Women Empowerment and Welfare Foundation across 10 schools and 10 households in Rawalpindi found that more than 60% of youth respondents were either interested in studying in China or applying for CPEC-related jobs. That means the youth of Pakistan hold the desire to actively shape the bilateral cooperation through their valuable participation.
To sustain this momentum, there is a need for a youth partnership framework focused on innovation hubs, digital economy exchange programs, scholarships, internships, and advisory panels, all aligned with BRI goals and objectives. Such an initiative will play a significant role in shaping the shared vision for sustainable development, the natural evolution of CPEC, and a youth-led strategy.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Ramsha is a student of international relations and is currently working for an NGO. She has worked as a Millennium Fellow and campus director for the UN Academic Impact and MCN. Furthermore, she has previously written for The Diplomatic Insight and has led some research and youth development initiatives, particularly in the fields of education and women's empowerment in Rawalpindi.