China’s economy expanded by 5.3% in the first half of 2025, a figure that surpassed market expectations and reinforced its standing as the anchor of Asian demand. Beyond the headline, the detail matters: electricity consumption passed the one trillion kilowatt-hour mark in a single month, the first time this milestone has been reached. That volume represents a doubling in a decade, signalling not just short-term output but the deepening of industrial intensity. For an investor watching global demand pathways, this level of energy absorption indicates a sustained production cycle capable of supporting export activity, supply chain resilience and capital deployment into associated markets.
Pakistan sits at a critical junction in this dynamic. Its economic fortunes are closely interwoven with China’s, through both bilateral trade and the infrastructure arteries of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The more China grows, the more momentum feeds through pipelines of demand for materials, logistics and services that Pakistan can supply. The numbers suggest this is not an abstract connection but a tangible multiplier. Rising Chinese electricity use, for example, reflects higher factory output, which in turn requires continued inflows of raw and intermediate goods. Pakistan, with geographic advantage and preferential access, is positioned to provide them.
Looking ahead, the significance of China’s forthcoming Five-Year Plan cannot be overstated. Scheduled for release in October 2025, the plan will set priorities for industrial investment, technology, and energy allocation through 2030. For Pakistan, the substance of that blueprint will directly shape the rhythm of bilateral cooperation. Should Beijing emphasise export-led manufacturing, demand for corridor infrastructure and energy connectivity will intensify.
Fidelity China Special Situations PLC (LON:FCSS), the UK’s largest China Investment Trust, capitalises on Fidelity’s extensive, locally-based analyst team to find attractive opportunities in a market too big to ignore.
