Alibaba Group chairman Joe Tsai used the company's Qwen AI app to draft a sweeping technology partnership agreement on the spot during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou on Sunday, 25 May 2026 — turning what would normally be weeks of legal work into a same-day signing.

The surprise request that set it all in motion

Sharif, known domestically for "Sharif speed" — a phrase describing his drive to fast-track development projects — reportedly challenged Tsai during the visit, saying: "I want a comprehensive strategic agreement," and repeating "now" and "right now" to underscore his urgency, according to people who attended the signing ceremony. The request came on the first leg of Sharif's four-day China visit, during which he is seeking to deepen Pakistan's digital economy ties with Chinese technology firms.

How Qwen closed the gap

Tsai, who trained at Yale Law School and is qualified to practise law in the United States, decided to draft the agreement himself — using his smartphone to input a few keywords into Qwen, Alibaba's AI app powered by its in-house foundation models, one of the sources said. Qwen generated the backbone of the agreement, and Tsai then walked Sharif through the draft in real time. The episode is a rare, high-profile instance of generative AI being used directly in live, head-of-state-level diplomacy.

What the deal covers

The AI-assisted drafting facilitated a rapid dealmaking process that culminated in the signing of a broad technology partnership. The agreement spans AI infrastructure, cloud computing, healthcare, e-commerce, and digital payments, according to people familiar with the matter. Alibaba already has a significant footprint in Pakistan through Daraz, the e-commerce platform it owns, and through Alibaba Cloud services.

Why it matters

The deal extends China's technology influence in South Asia at a moment when Beijing is actively expanding digital infrastructure partnerships under the Belt and Road Initiative. For Pakistan, which is grappling with fiscal pressures and a nascent digital economy, access to Alibaba's AI, cloud, and payments stack could accelerate modernisation across multiple sectors. The signing also signals that Qwen is capable enough to be trusted in high-stakes, real-world legal drafting — a meaningful credibility marker for Alibaba's AI ambitions.

What's next

Details of implementation timelines and financial commitments under the partnership have not yet been disclosed. Sharif's remaining days in China are expected to yield further bilateral announcements, with Beijing and Islamabad both keen to deepen cooperation on digital infrastructure. Observers will be watching whether this agreement translates into concrete Alibaba Cloud deployments in Karachi and Lahore — and whether Qwen's role in the drafting becomes a reference case for AI in diplomatic deal-making.