Alibaba’s Qwen catches up with ‘Sharif speed’ to help forge Pakistan deal

On the first leg of his four-day China visit, Pakistan’s prime minister – famed for “Sharif speed”, a term describing his swift execution of development projects – met his match in a leading AI tool. Shehbaz Sharif, keen on accelerating his nation’s digital economy with the help of Chinese firms, issued a surprise request during his visit to Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou on Sunday afternoon. “I want a comprehensive strategic agreement,” Sharif challenged Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group chairman,...