BEIJING: The Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing, in collaboration with the China Overseas Development Association and China International Intellectech Group Co., Ltd., has organised a landmark job fair aimed at directly connecting Pakistani students and professionals in China with leading Chinese enterprises, marking a first-of-its-kind embassy-led initiative to facilitate overseas employment opportunities.
Held on Sunday, the event drew strong participation, with nearly 2,000 attendees joining both in person and online. A total of 372 Pakistani candidates registered for the fair, including close to 100 who participated in on-site initial interviews conducted by representatives of major Chinese state-owned enterprises. The initiative was designed to bridge the gap between Chinese companies operating overseas and Pakistani professionals trained in China.
The participating enterprises, among the largest Chinese investors in Pakistan, represented key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, engineering and allied industries. Officials said the diversity of sectors underscored growing demand for skilled Pakistani professionals who possess both technical expertise and familiarity with Chinese business practices.
Addressing the gathering, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi described the job fair as a pilot initiative focused on identifying and facilitating employment opportunities for Pakistani professionals in Chinese overseas projects. He said Pakistanis educated in China bring together technical competence, Chinese language skills and cultural fluency, positioning them well for supervisory and middle-management roles.
The ambassador reaffirmed the Embassy’s commitment to facilitating Chinese investment in Pakistan while supporting enterprises in integrating qualified Pakistani professionals into their workforce. He noted that the initiative complements broader efforts to align skills development with Chinese investment priorities, including the recently convened second China–Pakistan Agriculture-focused Technical and Vocational Education and Training Forum. He added that similar initiatives are planned across Pakistan’s 21 priority sectors to further strengthen people-to-people and economic cooperation.
Speaking at the event, China Overseas Development Association President He Zhenwei highlighted the importance of the initiative and encouraged Pakistani youth to seize emerging opportunities to contribute to China–Pakistan cooperation. China International Intellectech Group, meanwhile, outlined its role as a leading human resources institution supporting cross-border cooperation and overseas projects, including ongoing vocational education programmes in Pakistan.
Participating enterprises presented their domestic and international portfolios and interacted directly with candidates during the fair. Organisers said the recruitment process has now entered its next phase, under which shortlisted candidates will be contacted individually for further interviews and final selection based on initial assessments and online CV submissions. This phase is expected to conclude by January 31, 2026.
Observers say the initiative reflects a proactive approach by the Pakistan Embassy to leverage educational linkages with China into tangible employment outcomes, a development closely watched by Lord as a model for skills-to-investment alignment in overseas labour markets. —LORD
