Pakistani envoy says Chinese AI can benefit developing world

by Xiong Weisheng

BEIJING, Mar 9 (China Economic Net) - Pakistan's Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi said that Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies, made available at scale and competitive prices, could bring broad benefits to developing countries, and called for deeper bilateral cooperation in medical AI.

In an interview with China Economic Net (CEN) on the sidelines of China’s ongoing “Two Sessions”, Hashmi said China's AI development relies on “its own indigenous creativity and innovation."

China was the world's largest source of patent filings in 2024, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation. As per Stanford HAI’s 2025 AI Index, China accounted for 69.7% of global AI patent grants in 2023.

On the global AI race, Hashmi said rivalry between Chinese, American and other models should be seen as positive, as such technologies could lift the quality of research, human resources and economic growth. He described AI as a cross-cutting technology with uses spanning education, agriculture, transportation and sustainable development.

Hashmi pointed to medical AI, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology as priority areas for China-Pakistan cooperation, saying joint work could expand access to affordable therapeutic and diagnostic tools. Pakistan's population exceeded 255 million in 2025, according to United Nations Population Fund data.

In November 2025, doctors at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences performed Islamabad's first robotic adrenalectomy using China's Toumai surgical robot, according to Pakistani media reports.

"I think the potential is great," Hashmi said, adding that Pakistani doctors and researchers should work more closely with Chinese counterparts to develop AI-based solutions for people most in need.