KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday discussed stronger city-to-city cooperation with Shanghai Mayor Zhu Zhongming, proposing a sister-city relationship between Karachi and Shanghai and seeking Chinese expertise in smart-city planning, urban development and digital governance.
According to a press release issued by CM House, the chief minister, who is currently in China, said Karachi and Shanghai, as major commercial and port cities, could benefit from greater cooperation in urban planning, transport, technology, infrastructure development and investment.
He proposed establishing a formal sister-city partnership between Karachi and Shanghai to provide a framework for regular exchanges between the two cities and cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
CM meets mayor of Shanghai; visits Huawei’s Research and Development Centre
Mr Shah highlighted urban development initiatives being pursued in Karachi, including the Karachi Circular Railway and the development of technology and IT-related infrastructure.
He invited Shanghai to share its experience in integrated urban planning, public transport, digital services and smart-city management with Karachi.
The chief minister said Sindh was keen to learn from Shanghai’s experience in using technology to improve urban services and make cities more efficient, connected and responsive to citizens’ needs.
The two sides discussed opportunities for strengthening economic and investment links between Sindh and Shanghai, particularly through business-to-business contacts and institutional cooperation.
Mayor Zhu Zhongming welcomed the proposed cooperation and discussed the potential for closer engagement between Shanghai and Karachi.
Mr Zhu was appointed Shanghai’s vice-mayor and acting mayor in September 2026.
Huawei R&D centre visit
Later, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited Huawei’s Lianqiu Lake Research and Development Centre in Shanghai, where he was briefed on the company’s research and innovation activities in advanced information and communication technologies.
The Lianqiu Lake facility in Qingpu district is Huawei’s largest global research and development campus.
It covers about 1,600 hectares and represents an investment of more than 10 billion yuan.
The centre integrates corporate offices, research and development, technology incubation and production-support facilities.
The chief minister was briefed on research in areas, including chips, wireless networks, 5G and 6G technologies, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
Mr Shah expressed interest in developing a deeper technology partnership between Huawei and Sindh, saying cooperation should extend beyond procurement of technology to joint projects, capacity building, research and development and technology transfer.
He invited Huawei to establish R&D facilities or technology laboratories in Karachi, particularly in connection with the proposed Karachi Education City and other technology-focused initiatives.
The chief minister said Sindh was already pursuing digital governance initiatives, including the provincial e-Portal and a broader cloud and digital transformation agenda.
He proposed cooperation with Huawei in developing government cloud infrastructure, data centres, disaster-recovery systems, cybersecurity capabilities and AI computing infrastructure.
Mr Shah said Sindh had a growing pool of young IT professionals and could provide a strong base for technology companies seeking talent and new markets.
He also discussed the application and could provide a strong base for technology companies seeking talent and new markets.
He also discussed the application of Huawei’s technology to smart-city initiatives, including digital public services, urban management, connectivity and data-driven decision-making.
He stressed that Sindh wanted to develop partnerships that would build local technical capacity and create opportunities for young people rather than relying solely on technology imports.
The chief minister invited Huawei to work with the Sindh government, local universities and technology institutions on pilot projects, research and skills development.
The visit to Huawei’s R&D centre formed part of the chief minister’s Shanghai engagements aimed at promoting investment, technology cooperation and institutional partnerships between Sindh and Chinese companies and cities.
The Lianqiu Lake centre has been described by Huawei and Chinese authorities as a major global R&D hub, with its work focused on areas including terminal chips, wireless technologies and the Internet of Things.
Mr Shah said stronger cooperation with Shanghai and Huawei could help accelerate Karachi’s digital transformation and support Sindh’s wider objective of developing a technology-driven, investment-friendly economy.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2026
